The Department does not know whether all groups of parents find CMS equally accessible or whether CMS produces different outcomes for different groups. The Department’s research found that low-income families, those with disabilities, and those with higher levels of parental conflict, appear more likely to have no arrangement in place. For example, in 2021, 39% of separated parents who were either not working or were economically inactive had no child maintenance arrangements in place, compar...

The Department does not know whether all groups of parents find CMS equally accessible or whether CMS produces different outcomes for different groups. The Department’s research found that low-income families, those with disabilities, and those with higher levels of parental conflict, appear more likely to have no arrangement in place. For example, in 2021, 39% of separated parents who were either not working or were economically inactive had no child maintenance arrangements in place, compared with 21% of those who were employed or self-employed. Similarly, over a third (34%) of separated parents whose children had special education needs or Type: conclusion | Number: 12 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: 2b. PAC Recommendation: The Department should: • to support this, undertake more inclusive research to understand its customers and users of its service. It should ensure people who do not communicate in English are included in its research and establish why unde