Child maintenance currently ranks low on the priority list for Universal Credit deductions at twelfth, below deductions for DWP debt, such as advance payments. We disagree that pursuing such debt should hold a higher priority than child maintenance. Deductions for child maintenance should take higher priority than deductions for the payment of debt owed to the Government. Deductions for child maintenance should take higher priority than deductions for the payment of debt owed to the Governmen...

Child maintenance currently ranks low on the priority list for Universal Credit deductions at twelfth, below deductions for DWP debt, such as advance payments. We disagree that pursuing such debt should hold a higher priority than child maintenance. Deductions for child maintenance should take higher priority than deductions for the payment of debt owed to the Government. Deductions for child maintenance should take higher priority than deductions for the payment of debt owed to the Government. To assist families, the Government should revise the deduction priority list so that child maintenance is above Government debt and should, in its res Type: recommendation | Number: 10 | Paragraph: 46 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: Child Maintenance is just one of many deductions which impacts UC. We have to balance the need to make CMS deductions with the need to make others such as for rent arrears, Council Tax, energy arrears, etc. Advances are a claimant’s bene