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Written question asked by Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 14 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 October 2026 (named day). It was answered by Lilian Greenwood (Labour) on Monday, 12 October 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Children: Maintenance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to introduce legislation enabling parents experiencing economic abuse and accessing the Child Maintenance Service to safely transition from Direct Pay into Collect and Pay.

Answer

The Government plans to abolish the direct pay service entirely so all parents can access the collect and pay service.

The removal of the Direct Pay service to a streamlined Collect and Pay service will enable CMS to monitor all payments and intervene promptly if an arrangement breaks down, as well as removing the need for parents to manage payment arrangements directly, providing a safer, more consistent service for families.

The Government believes that this is the most effective to improve compliance within CMS and strengthen protections for victims and survivors of domestic abuse, which includes economic abuse.

Our intention is to implement these changes as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

In the meantime, the CMS is strengthening its support for victim/survivors by making it easier for parents to switch to the Collect and Pay service through improvements to the ‘change to service type’ process. It is also being clearer in its communication about what support is available for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and how to access it.

Work is also ongoing with stakeholders to understand what additional support we can give to victims and survivors of abuse across the CMS customer journey.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
29635
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Children Maintenance Payment methods
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk