CMS Telephone Number

How to Call the Child Maintenance Service

These are the contact details you need when dealing with the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and other organisations in connnection with CMS cases.

For Current Child Maintenance Service Cases

Child Maintenance Telephone Number 0800 171 2345

Child maintenance Email Address UK  use correspondence@dwp.gov.uk 

Note the email address does not go direct to CMS, but via the DWP.

Alternative Child Maintenance Telephone Number:  0800 232 1956

The alternative telephone number is the Northern Ireland Phone Number.  Some people have found it easier to contact the CMS via the alternative number. 

If calling from overseas try dialing   00 44 800 171 2345 

                                                Or    00 44 800 232 1956

New Child Maintenance Cases

You have to go via Child Maintenance Options first.

www.gov.uk/child-maintenance

Subject Access Request (SAR)

To obtain your information that the CMS holds about you, a Subject Access Request or SAR needs to be made.  Never contact the CMS for a SAR.  Go direct to the DWP who handle the SARs.

Fill in the application form at:

https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/personal-information-request/name

You can apply for your information by post but it will take a lot longer.

Include a description of the information you want, and we suggest you give them a date from or to, to avoid being swamped with information.  

Any request needs to include:

·           Full address

·           Date of birth

·           National Insurance number

·           Your telephone number if you’re requesting call recordings

·           Your full name

If you want a copy of any call recordings they only keep them for around 14 months.  You must ask specifically for the call recordings.  If you dont ask, you will only get paper notes.

Post your written request to:

Right of Access Requests
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2EF

Further Information

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-your-personal-information-from-the-department-for-work-and-pensions

 

Universal Credit

If you lose your job, you should sign on immediatly.  Do not wait for the P45.  You should also tell the CMS at the same time.

You will need to evidence the job loss to the Child Maintenance Service, by sending them a copy of the P45.

Universal Credit Telephone Number: 0800 328 5644

Welsh language: 0800 328 1744

Textphone: 0800 328 1344

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Find out about call charges

 

Department for Work and Pensions

If you have a complaint, you need to clearly mark it as a "Complaint"

Complaints and Correspondence Review Team

Post Handling Site B

WOLVERHAMPTON

WV99 2GY

DWP Complaint Email:  correspondence@dwp.gov.uk

 

Report Benefit Fraud

Receiving Parents:  If someone is claiming to not work, but also claiming universal credit you can report that to the DWP via the National Benefit Fraud Hotline.  This is not the telephone number for reporting child benefit fraud.  Thats via HMRC.

Benefit Fraud Telephone Number   0800 854 440

Textphone: 0800 328 0512

Or write to them at: 
National Benefit Fraud Hotline
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BP

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

Report to HMRC that someone is avoiding tax to pay less maintenance

Are they doing jobs cash in hand?  Not declaring income

Report via this website:  https://www.gov.uk/report-an-unregistered-trader-or-business

 

Our Suggestions to Help

Expect calls to take some time.  Hold times for CMS are horrific. 2hrs is quite normal.  So before you dial the child maintenance telephone number, we suggest you do the following.

1    Whenever we contact the CMS, the first thing I do is to put the kettle on, and boil some water to make a cup of tea / coffee.    

2.    Make sure before you dial, you have a toilet break.

3.   Have something to eat to calm your blood sugar down, and so you will less likely to be very annoyed with them.

4.    Have paper, pen, CMS reference number to hand.

There is much debate on social media about using the CMS portal. 

We recommend you use the portal as it sends information direct to your caseworker.  We understand that some people like to send recorded delivery letters, however there is a flaw to this.  CMS post is handled by a mail company who receive the letters you send and then have to scan them to the CMS.  That just makes it easy for something to go wrong.

If you use the portal it shows on your CMS file around 30 minutes later, and is visible to a caseworker.  With this in mind, I have in the past uploaded and then called the CMS, in the knowledge that my letter is with them at the point I speak to them an hour or so later.

You have to call CMS to get initial access to the portal as they dont by default send you a password.

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