Improving Communication with the Child Maintenance Service: My Latest FOI Request
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) plays a crucial role in ensuring financial support for children, they will say, but navigating its processes can be frustrating, especially when it comes to contacting their call centres. My latest Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) seeks to address one significant issue: identifying the specific landline and geographical Here's why this matters and how it could benefit individuals relying on their services.
What I Aim to Achieve
Reducing Costs for Overseas Callers
For people calling the CMS from abroad, the cost of international calls can quickly add up, sometimes reaching several pounds per minute. Long wait times — a common experience when contacting the CMS — exacerbate the financial burden. If geographical landline numbers can be provided, callers may have the option to use more affordable alternatives, such as Voice over IP (VoIP) services, significantly reducing their expenses.Improved Caller Experience
Knowing the geographical location of a call centre could help callers achieve better outcomes. For example:- Consistency: Calling the same location might increase the chances of speaking to the same person, fostering continuity in discussions.
- Personal Preference: Some callers may prefer interactions with specific centres. Personally, I’ve had good experiences with the Plymouth call centre, which is located 40 miles from my home, compared to less satisfactory interactions with the Belfast centre. Familiar accents and local conversational cues (like discussing a football derby) can create a more empathetic and positive atmosphere.
Addressing Training and Service Quality
A recurring complaint among CMS users is the quality of advice provided by triage operators. In some instances, callers have been misinformed — for example, being told not to make payments, only to face penalties later when placed on the Collect and Pay system.
By identifying the call centre locations, it may be possible to pinpoint specific centres that could benefit from additional training or quality assurance measures. This data could help improve service delivery and prevent unnecessary stress for callers.
Why Transparency Matters
This request is part of a broader effort to ensure the CMS operates as effectively and fairly as possible. Transparency about call centre operations can empower users to make informed decisions about how they contact the service and reduce the frustrations associated with navigating a complex system.
Timeline of Responses
You can request information by email. As the CMS is a part of teh Department for Work and Pensions, they handle the Freedom of Information Requests. So first step was an email to them, and then they replied as follows.
The DWP responded within 2 weeks and provided the following information.
Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FoI) request received on 10 January. You wrote:
“Freedom of Information Request Concerning Inbound Communication with the Child
Maintenance Service.
Like many organisations such as banks, the Child Maintenance Service utilise a single
Non Geographical Number 0800 171 2345 in order to manage inbound calls. Calls flow
to different operators and call centres using the number.
I would like to know
1 The address for each call centre location. I beleive they are in Falkirk, Belfast,
Hastings, Wolverhampton, Plymouth. But what street and postcodes.
2 I would also like to know the geographical phone number for each location. Banks
for example publish a geographical number as well as a non geographical number on
debit cards to make it easier for people to call them. What are the geographic numbers
for each call centre.
3, Finally when someone calls the 0800 171 2345 number they usually speak to a
triage operator. Please can you tell me if the triage operators are civil servants or
contracted out staff. If contracted out, which company has the single contract, or are the
arrangements made locally with agencies.”
DWP Response
We confirm that we hold the information you have requested and provide it below in the order
of the questions asked above.
1. The postal address of all Child Maintenance Service (CMS) office locations:
• Parklands, Callendar Boulevard, Falkirk, FK1 1XE
• Pedmore House, Waterfront East, Level Street, Dudley, DY5 1XA
• Crown Building, 60 Wellington Street, Leicester, LE1 6DS
• Tyneview Park, Whitley Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE98 1BA
• Havelock Place, Havelock Road, Hastings, TN34 1NB
• Great Western House, Woodside Ferry Approach, Birkenhead, CH41 6DA2
• Clearbrook House, Bickleigh Down Business Park, Plymouth, PL6 7TN
• Great Northern Tower, 17-19 Great Victoria St, Belfast BT2 7AD
2. There are no geographical telephony numbers for any of the individual CMS sites, only
one overarching Non-Geographical Number (NGN) 0800 171 2345 which is the CMS
Main Line.
3. The current telephony resource we have are DWP Civil Servants in GB as well as
Department for Communities NI Civil Servants and Recruitment Agency, The Recruitment
Co., based in Northern Ireland.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us quoting the reference number
above.
Yours sincerely,
DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
Department for Work and Pensions
Heres a video concerning the long CMS telephone call waiting times.
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