Written question asked by Andrew Jones (Conservative) on Tuesday, 20 March 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 22 March 2012. It was answered by Maria Miller (Conservative) on Monday, 16 April 2012 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Children: Maintenance

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support he is providing to separated parents to help them agree their own arrangements for the payment of child maintenance.

Answer: The Government-funded child maintenance options service provides impartial information on child maintenance issues and support to help parents make collaborative family-based arrangements. It has a range of tools, including a child maintenance calculator, to help parents work out how much they may pay or receive, a discussion guide to help parents talk to each other about an arrangement, and a family-based arrangement form, which parents can complete when making their own arrangements.On 25 January, the Government announced £20 million investment to support separating and separated parents. A steering group of voluntary and community sector experts as well as academics is advising on how best this money should be used to co-ordinate existing services and evaluate what works in helping parents through separation.The steering group will help define what is needed, which could include: a web service that will be able to provide diagnosis and online material as well as signposting parents to specialist websites and local support services in their area; a helpline support for separating parents who need information and contact details for specialist and local support services that could help them; and co-ordinated local services to offer help and support.

Secondary information