In today’s King’s Speech, His Majesty King Charles outlined the government’s legislative priorities for the year ahead but, disappointingly, plans to reform the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) were missing from the agenda.

What is the King’s speech?

The King’s Speech takes place at the State Opening of Parliament and marks the beginning of a new parliamentary year or “session.” It is delivered by the Monarch, but written by the government, and is an opportunity for the government to set out the policies and legislation that it intends to introduce over the coming months. The last King’s Speech took place in July 2024; therefore, today’s speech marks the second session of the current Labour government.

A missed opportunity

The King’s Speech was a missed opportunity by the government to announce the legislation to reform the CMS.

In 2025, the government announced major reforms to the CMS, which would remove Direct Pay, consolidate the service into a single service (similar to Collect and Pay), and lower fees for parents. Gingerbread welcomed these proposals, which reflect a key demand of our #FixtheCMS campaign and could significantly improve the system. However, while the government has said it aims to implement the changes in 2027/28, it has yet to commit to a timetable for introducing the necessary legislation.

This lack of progress is particularly concerning for victim-survivors of domestic abuse. Because of the planned reforms, the government has confirmed it will not implement the Child Support (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023 (which would allow victim-survivors entering the service to move straight onto Collect and Pay), leaving many parents without protection against continued economic abuse and coercive control.

Gingerbread’s Fix the CMS report found that 77% of parents with care using the CMS are victim-survivors of domestic abuse, with many reporting that the system fails to protect them and can even worsen abuse. These findings were echoed in our recent joint briefing with Surviving Economic Abuse and Women’s Aid, “Maintenance is used as a weapon all of the time”: Domestic abuse and the CMS.

With the next General Election due in 2029, Gingerbread is concerned that that the reforms single-parent families urgently need will not be delivered in time, leaving victim-survivors unprotected and too many children without the maintenance they deserve.

Abigail Wood, Gingerbread CEO, said:

“In a recent Gingerbread survey, 75% of single parents said financial pressure and the cost of living are their biggest worries. The Child Maintenance Service plays a vital role in ensuring both parents contribute financially to their child’s upbringing, yet in too many cases it is failing.

“The government itself acknowledges that the CMS needs reform. For too long, it has left children in single-parent families vulnerable to hardship and poverty.

“We are deeply disappointed that the promised reforms to the CMS were not included in today’s King’s Speech. This shows a lack of ambition when action is needed now to improve the lives of children. This omission means single parents and their children will continue to be let down by a service the government knows is not working.

“Reforming the CMS is essential if our government is serious about delivering on both its Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and its Child Poverty Strategy. Single-parent families cannot afford to wait any longer.”

What’s next?

Gingerbread is calling on the government to urgently introduce the legislation needed to reform the service. Once in place, the consolidation must be delivered effectively and with care, guided by Gingerbread’s five key principles for success.

Until this happens, the government must implement the Child Support (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023 to ensure victim-survivors are properly protected.

You can read the full details of our key principles in our open letter to Baroness Sherlock, which was signed by over 1600 people.

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