Petition · Ministry of Justice
Increase penalties for non-payment of child maintenance & strengthen CMS powers
Open for signatures
41 signatures
What the petition asks
We ask the Government to strengthen CMS powers, improve data sharing with HMRC and Companies House, close loopholes for self-employed parents and company directors, speed up arrears enforcement, and introduce tougher penalties for persistent non-payment.
We believe the current levels of penalties and enforcement action are insufficient. It can take years to get a child maintenance payment out of a parent. We are concerned that non paying parents are taken at their word - if they say they cannot afford arrears nothing is done about this. We feel there needs to be serious reform in this space including serious penalties.
Timeline
| 9 Jun 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
41
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
9 Jun 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.