Petition · Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice
Review child maintenance service (CMS) process for accepting reduced payments
Closed
2,238 signatures
What the petition asks
Currently, a paying parent can reduce their CMS payments by adding a partner’s child as a “relevant child,” even if that child is not biologically theirs and already receives support from their own parent. We want the Government to review this process.
We call on the Government to review the CMS process for accepting reduced payments to ensure that paying parents aren’t allowed to reduce their payment based on incorrect information. We want the CMS to:
• Require financial disclosure from both adults in the household;
• Verify that any declared dependents are genuinely financially supported by the claimant; and
• Exclude dependents who already receive maintenance from their biological parents.
We believe this will make the CMS fairer and prevent misuse of the system.
• Require financial disclosure from both adults in the household;
• Verify that any declared dependents are genuinely financially supported by the claimant; and
• Exclude dependents who already receive maintenance from their biological parents.
We believe this will make the CMS fairer and prevent misuse of the system.
Timeline
| 9 Dec 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 9 Jun 2026 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
2,238
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice
Opened
9 Dec 2025
Closed
9 Jun 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 31 Jul 2026.