Child Maintenance Service: record number of parents paying almost all maintenance due

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced on 23 October 2026 that the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), the state body that handles child maintenance in Great Britain, is becoming more effective. The data covers the position as of March 2026.

What the figures show

According to the DWP statement, nearly 130,000 parents using the Collect & Pay service are now paying more than 90% of the maintenance due. The department calls this a record and says the number has risen by about 27% over the past year.

Under Collect & Pay, the CMS collects the money from the paying parent and passes it to the other parent. The DWP says that in March 2026 there were 243,000 parents due to pay through this service.

The number of parents paying nothing has fallen by about 19% since March 2025. The summary bullet points in the statement say "almost 20%", while the detailed text gives about 19%. In total, the CMS supports almost 1.6 million parents across Great Britain.

Faster service

The DWP also points to improvements in customer service. 85% of calls are now answered, compared with 59% in summer 2024. Average waiting times have fallen from more than 28 minutes to just over 11 minutes. The department adds that more parents are managing their cases online.

Government comment

Minister for Lords Baroness Maeve Sherlock said the priority is ensuring children get support from both parents. She added that most parents using the CMS support their children without the service having to enforce payment. Where parents do not meet their responsibilities, the government says it will take action.

According to the government, child maintenance arrangements help keep around 120,000 children out of relative poverty. It also says that 550,000 children will be lifted out of poverty in the final year of this Parliament, thanks partly to lifting the two-child benefit limit. These are government claims in the statement, not an independent assessment.

What this means for you

Parents living in Great Britain who live apart can use the CMS to arrange or enforce child maintenance. The statement contains no new rules or changes to the law; it concerns statistics and service quality. However, the figures suggest that cases can increasingly be handled online and that phone waiting times are shorter. The data covers Great Britain, meaning England, Scotland and Wales.