Question follow-through · 73989

Children: Maintenance

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking into account both parents’ income in Child Maintenance Service calculations.

answeredDepartment for Work and Pensions

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Department for Work and Pensions
Tabled
1 Sept 2025
Target answer date
3 Sept 2025
Answer
10 Sept 2025 · 9 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

Recorded timeline

  1. 1 Sept 2025

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking into account both parents’ income in Child Maintenance Service calculations.

  2. 3 Sept 2025

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 10 Sept 2025

    Answer published

    The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates through broad rules set out in child support legislation which aim to provide the best overall outcome for all parents who use the CMS. However, we have to allow for sensible decision-making across a large rang...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Strong linkSame MP, department and exact heading

Children: Maintenance

14 Oct 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) the removal of the Direct Pay option and (b) other changes to the Child Maintenance service on the affordability of the system for both parent

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Access to Work Programme: Hearing Impairment

14 Oct 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Access to Work grants for deaf and hard of hearing people are renewed without interruption; what steps he is taking to ensure that staff administering

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Housing Benefit: Almshouses

23 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) under-occupancy charge and (b) Local Housing Allowance on residents in almshouse accommodation who are in (i) low-paid and (ii)

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Almshouses: Rural Areas

23 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the levels of housing costs on the ability of working-age residents in almshouse accommodation in rural areas to remain (a) in employment and (b) f

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Almshouses

23 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the eligibility criteria for benefits and trends in the level of housing costs on (a) social isol

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

State Retirement Pensions: Income Tax

28 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Income Tax liabilities on the amount of (a) Housing Benefit and (b) Council Tax Reduction received by pensioners who retired

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

State Retirement Pensions: Income Tax

28 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Income Tax liabilities arising from simple assessment are taken into account when calculating (a) Housing Benefit and (b) Council Tax Reduction entitlement for pensioners.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

State Retirement Pensions: Income Tax

28 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure pensioners issued with simple assessment tax demands are advised to contact their local authority to reassess their entitlement to Housing Benefit and Co

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

State Retirement Pensions: Income Tax

28 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the frozen personal allowance on entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction for people in receipt of the pre-April 2016 S

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

State Retirement Pensions: Income Tax

28 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether income tax liabilities arising from simple assessment tax demands are taken into account when calculating Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction for pensioners whose sole income is the pre-20

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

State Retirement Pensions: Income Tax

28 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether pensioners issued with a simple assessment are advised to notify their local authority so that their Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction can be reassessed.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

State Retirement Pensions: Income Tax

28 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities are aware of the interaction between new tax liabilities for pre-2016 pensioners and the calculation of means-tested benefits.