Today the government announced big changes to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). It is planning to remove the Direct Pay service and make the CMS into one service-type. This will be similar to Collect and Pay.  We called for this change as part of our Fix the CMS campaign. As part of this we made a submission to the government’s consultation on this change last year. We know that many of you did too.  We now need to make sure that the change happens in the right way.  

What does it mean?  

There are still further details to be ironed out, and the change won’t happen for at least 2 years. But this is a major shake-up to the service. The change will see all CMS users on Direct Pay moved to the new service type or given the option to leave the CMS and form a private maintenance arrangement.   

Those currently on Collect and Pay will benefit from lower service fees following the change. The fees will now be 2% per parent, down from 20% for the paying parent and 4% for the receiving parent.  

Gingerbread’s view:  

We welcome the change. It has the potential to significantly improve the CMS, by making it safer for victim-survivors of domestic abuse, and allowing the service to better understand who is and isn’t paying. This could mean enforcement action is quicker and more children get the maintenance they’re entitled to. This will have a positive impact on child poverty levels across the country.

However, the changes must be made with extreme care to avoid certain risks. If the changes aren’t made properly, large numbers of people may leave the CMS and end up with inadequate private maintenance arrangements or no arrangement at all. We also want to make sure that the service offered by the new CMS is of good quality. We need to see a transformation in enforcement efforts against arrears so that the change has a real impact.  

In addition, we understand that the announced reforms will require legislative change, and this is expected to be introduced in 2027/28. In the meantime, it is essential for the CMS to safeguard victim-survivors of domestic abuse on Direct Pay, and we urge the government to implement the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023. 

Sign our open letter!  

We are writing an open letter to Baroness Sherlock, the Minister responsible for the CMS, to call for the following five core principles to be part of the changes:   

1. The changes must harness the full potential of the CMS to reduce child poverty   
2. All CMS users must receive clear, accessible and timely communication about the change and the options available to them   
3. The government must develop monitoring and follow-up mechanisms to identify and support users who leave the CMS   
4. There has to be sufficient resources to support the effective transfer and ongoing management of current Direct Pay cases    
5. Clear and measurable targets must be set to allow for a full evaluation of the success of the changes  

Read the full letter and add your signature.  

Sarah Lambert, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Gingerbread, said:  

“Thanks to your support, our Fix the CMS campaign is having an impact. The government is planning a major change to the CMS. It has the potential to result in more children accessing the maintenance they are entitled to, lifting them out of poverty. It should also make the service safer for victim survivors of domestic abuse. However, the changes need to be implemented carefully to make sure it is successful. Join us in writing to the CMS Minister to ask her to make sure the changes are made in the right way”  

What can you do to support?  

Sign our open letter: make your voice heard and show your support for our five principles by signing our open letter. Both individuals and organisations can sign.  

Take action – sign our letter!