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Parents face shock deductions from old child support cases
More than 30 parents have told the BBC they were wrongly pursued for child maintenance arrears, with thousands of pounds taken from their bank accounts or wages despite arrangements ending years or even decades earlier.
Teacher's £20,000 vanished without warning
Maths teacher John Hammond, 56, discovered £20,000 missing from his account during a lunch break at his new school in Peterborough. The money had been seized by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), despite his child support payments ending over 10 years prior when his children were 25 and 28.
"I was so shocked I couldn't stop shaking," Hammond said. "I was convinced it was a scam." His ordeal began in 2019 when the CMS claimed he owed nearly £19,000-despite a 2002 letter from the now-defunct Child Support Agency (CSA) stating he owed £947 but would not be pursued at his ex-wife's request.
After disputing the demand, the CMS still took £19,269 from his account in December 2020. Hammond won his appeal a year later, with a judge ordering the full sum returned and awarding him £8,000 in legal costs. However, he spent £14,055 on fees and remains £6,000 out of pocket.
"Even when you're proved right, it doesn't feel like justice. It just feels like you've survived it."
John Hammond
Fintech director's £18,800 deduction linked to undelivered letters
Richard George, 63, a fintech startup founder from Devon, had £18,800 taken from his account in late 2019. The CMS had sent correspondence to the wrong address for years, despite letters being returned undelivered and George repeatedly confirming his details by phone.
His case dated back to 2016, when an appeal tribunal overturned a CSA decision, effectively writing off over £16,000 in arrears. The CMS later acknowledged the error and refunded the money, including collection fees, but George said the damage was already done.
"It came after years of fighting, and it didn't undo the impact on my health, my work, or my life."
Richard George
Systemic flaws highlighted in House of Lords report
A 2025 House of Lords report, Reforming the Child Maintenance Service, described enforcement as "random, abusive, and unregulated," punishing compliant parents while ignoring real avoidance. The report also criticised the CMS's calculation formula, unchanged for over 20 years, as "neither fair nor transparent."
The government has committed to reviewing the CMS's calculation model but has not addressed individual cases like Hammond's or George's. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which oversees the CMS, stated it arranges voluntary arrears payments and only resorts to enforcement if parents refuse to pay.
Appeals process fails nearly a quarter of cases
The CMS manages 800,000 arrangements for 720,000 paying parents, with the DWP claiming assessment accuracy rates near 100%. However, in 2025, nearly a quarter of the 92,700 reconsideration requests resulted in decisions being overturned or amended after new evidence was provided.
Parents told the BBC they do not dispute paying child maintenance but object to enforcement actions taken before appeals are resolved. The DWP does not publish data on appeals against arrears notices or bank deductions.
Calls for urgent reform grow louder
Charities and advocacy groups are pushing for systemic changes. Abigail Wood, CEO of Gingerbread, a charity for single-parent families, said the CMS is "failing parents and children alike" and urged the DWP to act faster on proposed reforms.
Michelle Counley from the National Association for Child Support Action (NACSA) argued that early collaboration between parents could prevent disputes. "Many disputes could be resolved before figures are imposed and enforcement kicks in," she said, calling for "serious investment and a joined-up approach."
Both Hammond and George said they want an overhaul to prevent others from enduring similar ordeals.
"Getting the money back didn't feel like a victory. It was simply the end of a long fight to recover money the CMS had no right to take."
John Hammond
