Petitions/Stop self-employed parents from using the CMS
StatusClosed
Opened2 Apr 2025
Closes2 Oct 2025
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

Stop self-employed parents from using the Child Maintenance Service for maintenance payments and income calculations.

We are concerned that some self-employed parents misreport their income to avoid payments for their children. We believe the Child Maintenance Service is a failing department, failing children and may inadvertently be allowing some self-employed parents to use the system as a weapon against other parents. In our view, the process currently places too much responsibility at the foot of the other parent to prove or disprove the financial position and children and parents can be damaged as a result.

10,000
100,000

Constituency engagement ranking

Dame Harriett Baldwin
1Dame Harriett Baldwin MP
West Worcestershire
2
Richard Tice
2Richard Tice MP
Boston and Skegness
1
Olly Glover
3Olly Glover MP
Didcot and Wantage
1
Helen Hayes
4Helen Hayes MP
Dulwich and West Norwood
1
Danny Kruger
5Danny Kruger MP
East Wiltshire
1
Sir Jeremy Hunt
6Sir Jeremy Hunt MP
Godalming and Ash
1
David Taylor
7David Taylor MP
Hemel Hempstead
1
Jesse Norman
8Jesse Norman MP
Hereford and South Herefordshire
1
Julia Lopez
9Julia Lopez MP
Hornchurch and Upminster
1
Greg Smith
10Greg Smith MP
Mid Buckinghamshire
1
Stop self-employed parents from using the CMS — Petitions