Child Maintenance

That this House notes the £354 million of arrears owed to families under the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) with just £31 million having been collected through enforcement action in the latest quarter; futher notes that 43 per cent of cases under Collect and Pay arrangements are not receiving any maintenance; recognises that according to a 2019 study by Hakovirta et al, the full and timely payment of maintenance could lift 60 per cent of families living in poverty out of poverty; further recognises the increased hardship families are facing as a result of covied-19; supports those single-parents seeking a judicial review of the Department for Work and Pensions for their persistent failure to collect maintenance; calls on the Government to take action to secure the maintenance to which families have a legal right, including a root and branch review of the CMS to ensure it works effectively for the children it is supposed to serve, to increase enforcement action against non-compliant, non-resident parents, to improve enforcement powers for the CMS, and to introduce a Minimum Maintenance Payment to provide parents-with-care and their children a guaranteed income to prevent hardship and ensure a dignified standard of living.