A message to the Prime Minister: it’s time to fix the CMS

Following last night’s BBC Panorama investigation into the Child Maintenance Service, Both Parents Matter’s CEO –  Sam Morfey – has recorded a message to Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister, calling for urgent action to address the serious concerns raised by paying parents.

Our own 2026 survey found that:

🔴 79.1% of paying parents who had dealt with the CMS said it had negatively affected their mental wellbeing.

🔴 70.2% said their child maintenance payments were unfair.

🔴 73.1% said their payments were either unaffordable or placed them under financial strain.

These figures, alongside the experiences highlighted in Panorama, demonstrate the need for a CMS that is fair, transparent, accountable and properly recognises the circumstances of both parents.

We’re calling on the Prime Minister to listen to paying parents and take action to fix a system that too many families feel is failing them.