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<p>The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) continues to take rigorous action to collect
maintenance, combining robust negotiation activity with the highly effective use of
its extensive range of Enforcement Powers. This approach is driven by the Payment
Compliance strategy increasing CMS compliance influencing activities to tackle non-paying
cases and challenge non-compliant behaviours. CMS applies a Continuous Improvement
focus to Enforcement strategy and processes.</p><p>From the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-september-2023"
target="_blank">latest CMS official statistics</a>, in the quarter ending In the quarter
ending September 2023, of 180,000 Paying Parents due to pay via the Collect and Pay
service:</p><ul><li>57,000 (31%) paid no maintenance</li><li>130,000 (69%) paid some
maintenance, of which: 40,000 (22%) paid up to 90% of the maintenance due for the
quarter (further breakdowns of this group are available on <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml"
target="_blank">Stat-Xplore</a>) 85,000 (47%) paid over 90% of the maintenance due
for the quarter</li></ul><p>Further detail on compliance is provided in the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-september-2023/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-september-2023#About"
target="_blank">About these statistics section</a> of this release.</p><p>As a result
of this intense effort The Child Maintenance Service has a relatively low percentage
of unpaid maintenance. Only 8% of the total maintenance due to be paid since the start
of the CMS remains to be collected through Collect & Pay. This was as high as
17% in March 2015.</p><p>CMS does not hesitate to step in and move a case to collect
& pay as soon as they are notified payments are not being made. Around 3% of direct
pay arrangements move to collect and pay each quarter – a small percentage but this
shows that parents can and do move to collect and pay to secure help in getting their
child maintenance payments. With the focus of improving customer outcomes, there has
been an increase from 64% to 69% of customers who are paying anything towards their
maintenance via collect & pay since September 2022.</p><p>The published statistics
provides data to September 2023 - Section 6. Paying Parents and the Collect and Pay
service and National Tables, table 5 <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-september-2023"
target="_blank">Child Maintenance Service statistics: data to September 2023 - GOV.UK
(www.gov.uk)</a></p><p>We’ve announced measures to significantly speed up CMS enforcement
processes that will reduce the time it takes to secure a liability order from 22 weeks
to as low as 6 weeks. A consultation on detailed proposals has recently concluded
and the Government response will be published shortly.</p>
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