Petition · Department for Work and Pensions
Update child maintenance regulations to better recognise equal care arrangements
Open for signatures
53 signatures
What the petition asks
Introduce a presumption of equal care where children live roughly equally with both parents. Update regulation 50 guidance to reduce reliance on Child Benefit to determine which parent is liable for child maintenance payments.
Parents who share care equally are often forced to pay child maintenance because CMS commonly assumes the Child Benefit recipient is the primary carer. This assumption can ignore clear evidence from schools, healthcare records, calendars, and communications. We believe updating Regulation 50 would help to recognise genuine 50/50 parenting, reduce unnecessary disputes and tribunal appeals, save public resources, and ensure fair maintenance calculations.
Timeline
| 15 Apr 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
53
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Department for Work and Pensions
Opened
15 Apr 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.