The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) in the UK urgently needs reform to ensure fairness, flexibility, and equal treatment for all children and parents involved.

At present, CMS payments are primarily calculated based on the income of the paying parent, with limited consideration of wider financial responsibilities, household costs, or changes in personal circumstances. This can place significant financial strain on paying parents, even when they are fully compliant and actively supporting their children.

Many paying parents also support a second household, including a partner and additional children, yet the system does not always reflect the full reality of these responsibilities. As a result, families can be left in extremely difficult financial situations, particularly during periods of illness, reduced income, or unexpected hardship.

A key concern is fairness between all children involved. Every child should be treated equally, regardless of which household they live in or the financial circumstances of either parent. However, the current system can create situations where the financial support a child receives is heavily influenced by one parent’s income, rather than a balanced assessment of both households.

There is also limited flexibility within the system for genuine hardship cases, meaning parents may still be required to pay full amounts even when their income temporarily decreases, risking serious financial instability for their current family.

This campaign is calling for urgent reform of the CMS to ensure:

Fair treatment and equal consideration for all children across all households
A more balanced assessment of both parents’ financial situations
Proper recognition of real household responsibilities, including other dependants
Greater flexibility during illness, income changes, or financial hardship
A more transparent and humane system that reflects real-life circumstances
The current system is causing avoidable financial pressure and stress for many families and requires urgent review to ensure fairness, balance, and equality for all children and parents involved.