'They took £20,000 I didn't owe': Parents hit by Child Maintenance Service errors

Maths teacher John Hammond’s early days at a new school took an unexpected turn when he discovered a large sum of money had been taken from his bank account without his knowledge. While checking his banking app to confirm receipt of his salary, Hammond was shocked to find that nearly £20,000 had been withdrawn by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). His child maintenance arrangement had ended more than ten years earlier, as his children were adults well past the age of support. “I was so shocked that I couldn’t stop shaking,” Hammond recalled. The 56-year-old from Peterborough initially thought the withdrawal was a scam.

This case is far from isolated. Over 30 parents have shared with the BBC their experiences of incorrect child maintenance arrears being calculated or money being wrongly seized from their accounts or earnings. Many of these troubles arise from arrangements that concluded many years or even decades ago. The CMS, which took over the responsibilities of the Child Support Agency (CSA) in 2012, is tasked with ensuring that child living costs are met when one parent does not live with the child. Using a set formula, the CMS calculates payment amounts and, when necessary, enforces collection through wages, bank accounts, benefits, or pensions. The service also pursues overdue payments by recovering arrears. Despite its role, numerous parents have reported that enforcement can be harsh, inaccurate, and unregulated.

Hammond traced his difficulties back to a 2002 letter from the CSA stating he owed £947, an amount his ex-wife asked the agency not to collect. Years later, in 2019, CMS claimed he owed close to £19,000. Despite contesting the demand and supplying supporting documents, the CMS proceeded to deduct nearly £19,300 from his account in 2020. Though Hammond eventually won an appeal and had the money reimbursed plus legal costs awarded, he was still left out of pocket by more than £6,000 due to legal expenses. “Even when you’re proved right it doesn’t feel like justice,” he said, “It just feels like you’ve survived it.”

Similar issues affected Richard George, whose bank was debited for £18,800 by the CMS without warning. George, a fintech founder from Devon, was stunned. After a 2016 tribunal had cleared him of more than £16,000 in arrears, he thought the matter was closed. However, in 2019, CMS withdrew funds from his account due to arrears related to longstanding maintenance. It was later revealed that important CMS correspondence had gone to an incorrect address for years despite his efforts to update details. Although the CMS refunded George the money in 2023, including collection fees, the prolonged battle had caused significant personal and professional harm. “It came after years of fighting, and it didn’t undo the impact it had on my health, my work or my life,” he explained.

A House of Lords report examining the CMS voiced concerns not only about enforcement practices but also about the outdated calculation method used to decide payments, describing it as neither fair nor transparent. It noted the formula, in use for over two decades, fails to reflect modern family structures. The government has pledged to review the CMS calculation system and is considering reform recommendations. Currently, the CMS handles around 800,000 arrangements, and data shows that about a quarter of decisions are overturned or altered following appeals. While the Department for Work and Pensions states its accuracy rates are “consist

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