Child Maintenance Service Anmeldelser 

This service is terrible and needs a complete review. Despite accepting that they have used the wrong figures in calculating my child maintenance payments, they rejected my claim to recalculate. I now have to lodge a formal appeal to the tribunal to have the calculation reviewed. Which could take months and me paying an additional £200 a month extra in child maintenance.

Nothing but incompetence
As much use as an ashtray on a motorbike

Absolutely awful. Online portal doesn’t work, had to reset my pin and still wouldn’t accept my new pin. Then called them and had too listen to 10 minutes of an automated voice telling me to go online when I was told online that I couldn’t do anything online and had to call!! Makes no sense!!!

Child Maintenance Review

The Human Cost of Delayed Enforcement

A call for Child Maintenance to recognise the real impact on vulnerable receiving parents

I am writing this because prolonged non-payment and delayed enforcement have had a serious impact on my life.

I live alone, have disabilities and limited financial resources, and I do not have a large support network to fall back on.

Because of the financial pressure, I have had to seek help from Citizens Advice, food banks, the Derbyshire Discretionary Fund and homelessness-prevention services, including Pathways and Key3. I have become genuinely worried about being able to keep my home.

This is not simply about an unpaid balance on a computer system.

There is a real person behind every case, and real consequences when money owed is not received.

Since July, I have repeatedly contacted Child Maintenance for updates. I have cooperated with the process, yet I have repeatedly been told that my case is with an enforcement worker and that there is nothing further that can be done.

I understand that different teams have different responsibilities, but being told to wait does not resolve the problem for the person experiencing the financial consequences.

Bills do not wait. Food does not wait. Housing costs do not wait.

Vulnerability needs to mean something in practice. For a receiving parent who lives alone, has limited resources and no support network, prolonged non-payment can mean food insecurity, debt, housing insecurity, fear of homelessness and serious emotional and physical distress.

We are not mind readers.

Receiving parents deserve clear, accurate information about what action has been taken, what happens next and what timescale they can realistically expect. I would rather be told a difficult truth than be given hope that progress is being made when I am then left waiting again.

I am not asking for special treatment.

I am asking Child Maintenance to recognise the human cost of delayed enforcement and to properly consider the circumstances of vulnerable receiving parents.

I am speaking up not only for myself, but for others who may be frightened, struggling financially and feeling unheard.

Child Maintenance Review
The Human Cost of Delayed EnforcementIf you are a receiving parent in this position, please know that you are not alone, your voice matters, and you are entitled to ask questions and expect answers.

Please listen. Please recognise the human cost. And please make sure vulnerable receiving parents are not left feeling abandoned while waiting for money that is owed to them.

Totally shocking system, automated, with agents who are clueless. Both parents will suffer using this system and the net result is children loose touch with theitr Dad's.

1 star as unable to give it a 0

Owed thousands of pounds by paying parent and nothing is being done.

Parents who pay are rinsed and parent who Dont get away with it.

2 years ive been fighting just to get my child what he deserves and I haven’t received a single penny.

Fobbed off and told lies constantly.

Not fit for purpose.

Dreadful service got told 3 different things about my case had put complaint in and now after 6weeks after reporting change in circumstances and told it’s all been sorted I get message asking send proof of p45 really bad service and I’m taking further now complete joke

Terrible worse than bailiffs and doorstep lenders in all of my years dealing with these people never can i say iv had a positive experience iv complained made subject access requests also sought legal advice they will force people to give up work due to the ludicrous amounts requested for a parent with a 50/50 split corrupt to the core

CHILD MAINTENANCE SERVICE IS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE

On hold for 65 minutes and no answer - I am asking a simple question that is not being answered!
No way of getting hold of them!

For Jesse-

Thank you for your help today while I try to sort out my child maintenance case. I appreciate ur help so much, and am so grateful for the advice you gave me.

Thank you again!

My experience with the Child Maintenance Service has been nothing short of disgraceful. The treatment of paying parents is appalling, and the repeated failure of CMS staff to follow their own rules, guidelines, and statutory obligations has caused unnecessary stress, financial instability, and emotional harm.
The level of incompetence displayed is unacceptable. Cases are mishandled, information is ignored, and decisions are made without proper investigation or evidence. Paying parents are treated as an afterthought, left to deal with the consequences of CMS's mistakes while staff show no urgency, accountability, or Professionalism.

I am disgusted by the way this service operates. The lack of consistency, transparency, and basic competence has had real-world consequences for me and my family. CMS's failures are not minor administrative errors - they are systemic issues that damage lives.
I am demanding a thorough, independent investigation into the conduct, processes, and decision-making within CMS. The current standard of service is unacceptable, harmful, and far below what any government body should be allowed to deliver.

Unlike a lot of people im extremely savvy when it comes to book keeping and I always make sure I have evidence to back up allegations, I will go to the papers regarding the matter of CMS to help prevent the continued failures by this governing body, and help future paying parents in a fair system.

Terrible Government department that is not fit for purpose.

My son had a terrible experience during a period when his mental health was poor. I pursued the matter endlessly with formal written complaints which were left unanswered until I involved the local MP.

I took my complaints to the Independent Case Examiner and they have upheld all my complaints.

I advise everyone experiencing problems to involve their MP and perhaps someone will eventually realise that this department and its flawed computer system needs to be disbanded.
This is another Post office scandal in the making, I hope a TV company will make a docudrama and perhaps yhen things will change.

This is a private company that profits from the abuse of children and unjustly alienated parents. All who choose to work for such evil do so knowing full well that they choose to make their living from the ongoing abuse of children and of unjustly alienated parents. May you be judged, held accountable and justice find you all.

Whilst the system is there to enforce parents who are trying to avoid paying support for their children, and rightly so, it sadly also leaves the floodgates open for abuse in and after a malicious divorce by a parent alienating a child from a loving parent, to enflict that parent with a financial penalty in addition to emotional turmoil of losing access to their child or children. The CMS enforce this blindly with no empathy or rationale. This can financially cripple said parent and leave them penniless to pursue what is always a costly family court battle for child access. In my opinion it is long in need of a significant overhaul, in need of thorough investigation in each case. Why do I write this? Because I am the father of a beautiful boy who my ex wife alienated from me during the financial clean break stage of our divorce, encouraged by somewhat unethical solictors. The CMS works blindly as a weapon which, as long as that parent withholds access to the child, as happened in my case, supports them unequivocally. Further there is no downstream control of the funds you pay for your child and no guarantee that they are used for the support of the child you love so much.

People working there can't read and do simple maths like 2+2. Everything take ages, before someone will pick up a call you have waste over an hour and later person you spoke with can't do nothing anyway, some of this peoples lieying and do nothing about their job. This is just disgusting and just disaster. I'm not surprised that some people did suicide or be close because of them.

Dealing with Child Maintenance has been an absolute nightmare. They are incredibly difficult to get hold of, communication is poor, and I rarely receive any updates unless I spend ages chasing them myself. It feels like there is very little effort made to recover outstanding payments or enforce arrears.
My daughter turns 13 in September, and I separated from her father just before she turned two. He has never been involved in her life, doesn't see or speak to her, and has built up nearly £12,000 in arrears. Despite this, it feels like no meaningful action has been taken to recover what is owed.
To make matters worse, I constantly seem to get locked out of my online account, making it even harder to access information or contact anyone. The whole process is frustrating, stressful, and leaves you feeling completely unsupported. Families relying on Child Maintenance deserve better communication, better enforcement, and a service that actually keeps them informed.

SHAMEFUL FOR A GOVERNMENT RUN COMPANY. I have been waiting 11 months so far for a payment towards the arrears which is owed. I am continually promised a call from a manager or my case worker would call back instead. But nothing yet again. So tomorrow ill have to be put on hold for an hour and then speak to someone yet again who will promise someone will call me back with an update. Although this wont happen again. I think my next step is contacting my MP.

What a nightmare this service is over hour like waiting and still not answering it a joke there quick enough to get hold off you for money and other stuff very bad service