More money reaching children than ever thanks to Child Maintenance Service

New figures show thousands more parents are paying the child maintenance they owe as improvements to the CMS drive up compliance and improve customer service for families.

The data shows the majority of parents using the service’s Collect & Pay function - nearly 130,000 parents - are now paying more than 90% of the maintenance due, up by around 27% in the last year.

At the same time, the number of parents paying nothing has fallen by around 19% since March 2025, while CMS is supporting almost 1.6 million parents across Great Britain.

The figures come as the Government works to tackle child poverty and give every child the best start in life, with child maintenance arrangements helping keep around 120,000 children out of relative poverty and providing vital support with the everyday costs of raising a child.

Minister for Lords, Baroness Maeve Sherlock said: 

Our priority is simple - ensuring children get the support they are entitled to from both parents.

As we continue to modernise the Child Maintenance Service record numbers of parents are now paying their child maintenance arrangements, helping more money reach children and supporting families right across the country.

Most parents who use the CMS support their children without CMS having to enforce it but, where parents don’t meet their responsibilities, we will take action to ensure kids have food on their table and shoes on their feet.

Improving compliance also comes alongside a more modern and accessible service, with more parents choosing to manage their cases online, while those who need to contact CMS by phone are receiving faster responses and shorter waiting times.