Lucinda Connell, Senior Specialist Family Law with Major Family Law, the top divorce and children law specialists, says: The number of cases managed by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) clearly continues to increase following the introduction of application and collection charging. The CMS caseload stood at 227,000 cases as at the end of February 2016, an increase of some 21% when compared to November 2015.
Figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions, for the three monthly period to February 2016, show that 87% of Case Groups (ie. all of the cases associated to a paying parent) were contributing towards their current liability, with 88% of cash due having been paid. There has been a slight change to service levels; although the proportion of calls answered was at 98%, those answered within 30 seconds decreased from 94% in November 2015 to 86% in February 2016. Accuracy levels increased from 92% in November 2015 to 93% in February 2016. The DWP publication contains information on cases being processed on the 2012 statutory child maintenance scheme, delivered by the CMS. The 2012 Scheme was introduced to support families who are unable to make arrangements themselves. The 2012 Scheme will replace the 1993 and 2003 Schemes (administered by the Child Support Agency) over the next few years as 1993 and 2003 cases are closed.