Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is a new organisation established by the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008, following an in-depth review of child maintenance policy and delivery arrangements in this country. The Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system in Great Britain. The Commission’s key objective is to maximise the number of effective child maintenance arrangements that are in place, whether private or statutory. To achieve this aim, the Commission provides an information and support service (Child Maintenance Options) and oversees the statutory maintenance service currently run by the Child Support Agency. Over time, the Commission will improve arrangements for the assessment, collection and enforcement of child maintenance for parents using that service. The Commission is a crown Non-Departmental Public Body, which means it operates at arms length from Government, enabling it to innovate and provide services how and through the mechanisms it chooses. With this new structure, we have an opportunity to deliver a new system of child maintenance in Great Britain that really works for separated families.