Government should review the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to ensure it is fair and sustainable for both parents while supporting children appropriately. It should protect paying parents from financial hardship and take blended families and additional dependent children into account fairly.

We believe all children within a household deserve equal financial consideration. CMS payments should not increase solely based on income where this causes financial hardship, impacts housing and living costs, affects mental health, or limits a parent’s ability to support their household and maintain child contact. We are concerned that the current system often favours the receiving parent and does not fully consider the financial pressures faced by paying parents after separation, including housing, court costs, and supporting new or blended families.