DWP enforcement changes, USA News: Senior Department for Work and Pensions officials have outlined how they are stepping up enforcement powers, including measures to directly deduct funds from a person’s bank account. A DWP minister detailed the use of an escalated enforcement process targeting non-compliant individuals during a recent appearance before the Work and Pensions Committee.
Representatives from the department discussed the ongoing work of the Child Maintenance Service, which manages payments sent by a parent for the upkeep of a child they do not live with. Committee members questioned officials on efforts to speed up enforcement where payments are missed. DWP minister Baroness Sherlock stated that the ideal approach involves early visibility and quick intervention to prevent issues from escalating.
Parents can choose between Direct Pay, where funds are sent directly to the receiving parent, or Collect and Pay, where the CMS handles the collection. Baroness Sherlock noted a change in policy: if someone fails to pay under Direct Pay, transferring the case to Collect and Pay has been made much quicker. Once moved, the DWP has multiple options to secure funds, including wage deductions.
Lucy Appleton, deputy director of enforcement at the CMS, explained that enforcement powers are unnecessary for the vast majority of cases. She highlighted available tools, including earnings deductions and direct bank account withdrawals, alongside legal power routes involving liability orders issued by magistrates’ courts in England and Wales.
The department has negotiated additional court slots with HM Courts and Tribunal Service to accelerate the issuance of liability orders. Additionally, the DWP launched an early intervention team utilizing predictive analytics in 2025 to identify patterns indicating potential non-compliance and reach out to customers proactively. A DWP spokesperson emphasized that enforcement action is applied strictly when evidence shows maintenance has not been paid and arrears are owed, noting that paying parents retain the right to challenge decisions through mandatory reconsideration.
