The UK's Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is facing criticism from parents who describe protracted battles to receive owed payments. Mothers have reported extensive delays and a lack of progress in securing financial support from ex-partners, leading to personal debt and hardship.
One mother, identified as Katy, recounted her experience with the CMS. After her ex-partner stopped payments, the service informed her in March of the previous year that it would apply for a liability order, a process estimated to take 26 weeks. However, as the court date approached, Katy was told the order had not been obtained. In September, the CMS again stated its intention to apply for the order, which would have been worth approximately £6,000. Most recently, the service expressed uncertainty about maintaining a reliable address for Katy's ex-partner to send the necessary paperwork. Her case is now on hold, and she is in debt herself.
The CMS acknowledged delays in Katy's case, stating it had apologized and made a consolatory payment. The service attributed the issues to difficulties in confirming and maintaining a reliable address for the paying parent. Katy expressed her disappointment, stating, "I was really upset because it just came as such a shock. I thought that I was going to get somewhere and just haven't." She is unsure if she will ever receive the money.
Another mother, Susan, shared with BBC Panorama that the CMS's efforts to recover arrears from her ex-partner, who owes more than £10,000, have been "a waste of everybody's time... a waste of everyone's money." She described being forced to skip meals due to the lack of financial support, even after increasing her working hours. In Susan's case, CMS investigators determined her ex-partner had the financial means to pay. Although the CMS took him to court, he failed to appear. Susan was informed that a warrant had been issued, but the CMS stated it could not proceed further due to a lack of warrant officers, an outcome she described as an "embarrassment."
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) told Panorama that ongoing modernization of the service is leading to quicker and more effective case progression. Simon Hunter, Director of the CMS, stated that a large proportion of the service's 800,000 cases involve highly satisfied customers and that compliance has improved over the past three years. He acknowledged that for the small percentage of cases involving enforcement, the process can be extensive and may feel prolonged for customers.
While the CMS aims to facilitate regular child maintenance payments, the experiences of parents like Katy and Susan highlight the challenges faced when enforcement actions are required. The service maintains that while modernization is improving efficiency, enforcement can be complex and must adhere to statutory processes.