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Written question asked by Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 7 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 September 2026. It was answered by Lilian Greenwood (Labour) on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Children: Maintenance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve access to and the timeliness of Child Maintenance Service cases for parents in West Dorset.

Answer

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is delivering a Modernisation Programme to improve customer access, efficiency and transparency. This includes integrated online application services, the My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC) service, which provides customers with online access to case information and payment schedules, and Customer Connect, which enables secure online communication between parents and caseworkers. Telephone and assisted digital support remain available for customers who need additional assistance.

The programme has also introduced improved digital communications, enhanced data sharing to support faster and more accurate maintenance calculations, and predictive analytics to help identify cases at risk of non-compliance, which allows us to review the cases more swiftly and take action to ensure compliance is maintained

The Department continually monitors the effectiveness of the CMS through published statistics and operational performance measures. CMS services are delivered nationally and the Department does not routinely assess effectiveness or performance at parliamentary constituency level.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
27722
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Children Maintenance Standards Child Maintenance Service West Dorset
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk