PETITIONClosedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Reform Child Maintenance Service: Support Active Fathers & End Historic Arrears
The CMS is meant to support children - we think that too often, it’s tearing families apart. We feel that many loving, active fathers are treated unfairly & that the CMS ignores shared parenting, fails to recognise time spent with children, & can create unaffordable debt that parents can’t dispute.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
285
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 285/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 285/100,000
Background
Some are being chased for historic arrears they never had a chance to challenge, pushing some families into hardship and damaging the very children the system is meant to protect.
We’re calling for change.
The CMS must:
Recognise shared parenting in its calculations.
Allow fair reviews and appeals of old debts.
Write off unfair or unaffordable historic arrears.