More money reaching children than ever thanks to Child Maintenance Service

Children across the country are benefitting from a record high in payments being made by parents through an improved Child Maintenance Service (CMS).

Nearly 130,000 parents are now paying more than 90% of the child maintenance due, a record high and up 27% in a year.
Newly-released figures also show number of parents paying nothing has fallen by almost 20% since March 2025.
Government determined to turn the tide on child poverty and improve life chances across every postcode.

New figures show thousands more parents are paying the child maintenance they owe as improvements to the CMS drive up compliance and improve customer service for families.

The data shows the majority of parents using the service’s Collect & Pay function - nearly 130,000 parents - are now paying more than 90% of the maintenance due, up by around 27% in the last year.

At the same time, the number of parents paying nothing has fallen by around 19% since March 2025, while CMS is supporting almost 1.6 million parents across Great Britain.

The figures come as the Government works to tackle child poverty and give every child the best start in life, with child maintenance arrangements helping keep around 120,000 children out of relative poverty and providing vital support with the everyday costs of raising a child.

Minister for Lords, Baroness Maeve Sherlock said:

Our priority is simple - ensuring children get the support they are entitled to from both parents.

As we continue to modernise the Child Maintenance Service record numbers of parents are now paying their child maintenance arrangements, helping more money reach children and supporting families right across the country.

Most parents who use the CMS support their children without CMS having to enforce it but, where parents don’t meet their responsibilities, we will take action to ensure kids have food on their table and shoes on their feet.

Improving compliance also comes alongside a more modern and accessible service, with more parents choosing to manage their cases online, while those who need to contact CMS by phone are receiving faster responses and shorter waiting times.

The figures show significant improvements in customer service, with 85% of calls now answered, compared with 59% in summer 2024, while average waiting times have fallen from more than 28 minutes to just over 11 minutes.

Child maintenance plays a vital role in tackling child poverty, with the Government set to lift 550,000 children out of poverty in the final year of this Parliament, thanks to action including the lifting of the two-child benefit limit. This represents the largest reduction in child poverty since records began.

Additional Information:

Please find the new data here: Child Maintenance Service: data insights to March 2026 - GOV.UK
Figures used correct as of March 2026.
The management information covers customer interactions, digital services, compliance and enforcement activity within the Child Maintenance Service.
The number of Paying Parents who are due to pay via Collect & Pay, which was 243,000 at March 2026