Dear Jodi, 

I hope you’re well. 

I’m emailing you as Jacob has now received a response from the DWP, regarding your concerns around child maintenance. For your reference, the body of the DWP’s email is copied below- 

Thank you for your email of 24 April, about the child maintenance position of your constituent, Mrs Jodi Archer. I am responding as a complaint resolution manager.

Mrs Archer says she currently pays £354 a month for her son despite there being a shared care order in place. She raised concerns she has been subject to parent alienation and is in debt due to her divorce and prolonged court proceedings. Mrs Archer says is suffering financially. She is unhappy we do not consider the receiving parents income when we work out what she needs to pay as she is aware he earns more than her, some of which is not declared to HM Revenue and Customs.

On 29 April, I telephoned Mrs Archer and discussed the points she raised. She confirmed that we have fully addressed her concerns. Although she remains unhappy we do not consider a receiving parent’s income, she understands this is legislation and outside the normal DWP complaints process. We have given her details of how to raise her concerns directly with government. Mrs Archer is happy to close the complaint. 

If Mrs Archer would like to discuss this response, she can contact me on 0800 171 2345.

Mrs Archer has now reached the end of the DWP complaints process. If she is not happy with our final decision, she can complain to the Independent Case Examiner (ICE), providing she does so within six months of the date of this letter. If Mrs Archer decides to approach the ICE, she must provide a copy of this letter. Please note, the ICE can only consider complaints about maladministration or service failures, examples of which are: failure to follow proper procedures; excessive delays; poor customer service.

The ICE cannot consider complaints about matters of law, such as child maintenance decisions, which must be pursued by appeal through HM Courts and Tribunals Service after a mandatory reconsideration; complaints that are, or have been, subject to legal proceedings; complaints about how the DWP fulfils its responsibilities as an employer; or complaints that involve the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman or the Northern Ireland Ombudsman.

Mrs Archer can contact the ICE by email at: contact@ice.gov.uk which is their preferred contact; by telephone on: 0800 414 8529; or in writing at: PO Box 209, Bootle, L20 7WA.’

I appreciate the above might be disappointing. It might be useful to call Laura on the number provided above, to discuss this matter further. 

Once again, thank you for contacting Jacob about this matter. I hope the above is useful in clarifying the DWP’s position. 

Best wishes,

Emily 

Senior Caseworker

Office of Jacob Collier