Select a letter type, complete the form, then generate a professional draft.
Calculate
Estimate liability from income, children, and shared care before you escalate.
Track
Keep a dated record of payments, letters, enforcement, and evidence references.
Write
Generate professional Word or PDF letters across the full CMS complaints route.
Audit
Compare expected liability with CMS claims and export a branded Excel report.
Common problems we cover
- Income taken from the wrong period or not updated correctly
- Shared care nights recorded incorrectly
- Direct payments missing from arrears balances
- Arrears changing without a written explanation
- Enforcement started while a dispute remains unresolved
- Collection fees charged on disputed balances
Not legal advice. Always compare tool outputs with official CMS paperwork. For tribunal or court action, seek regulated advice.
Indicative CMS Calculator
Estimation only. Verify against your CMS decision letter.
Enter figures and press Calculate.
Case Tracker
Stored only in your browser. Export before clearing.
| Date | Type | Amount | Notes | Evidence |
|---|
Letter Builder
Follows the CMS pathway: written explanation → mandatory reconsideration → tribunal → service complaint → complaint review → Independent Case Examiner. Export as Word or PDF.
1. Breakdown
2. MR
3. Tribunal
4. Complaint
5. Review
6. ICE
Arrears Audit
Compare expected liability with payments and CMS claims. Export branded Excel.
Run an audit to see results and enable Excel export.
Resources
CMS pathways, key deadlines, and official references — aligned to GOV.UK and Citizens Advice.
Two routes. Disagree with a decision (amount, shared care, arrears figure)? Use explanation → mandatory reconsideration → tribunal. Unhappy with service (delays, missing explanations, poor handling)? Use complaint → complaint review → Independent Case Examiner. You can run both routes in parallel where both apply.
Decision challenge route
- Request a written calculation and arrears ledger.
- Ask for mandatory reconsideration within 30 days of the decision letter date.
- Keep the mandatory reconsideration notice.
- If still unhappy, appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal (form SSCS2), usually within one month of the MR notice.
Service complaint route
- Use the DWP/CMS complaints procedure for delays, missing explanations, or poor handling.
- Ask for a complaint review if the first reply is inadequate.
- After a final response that refers you to ICE, escalate to the Independent Case Examiner within 6 months.
- Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is via your MP if needed after ICE.
Key deadlines
- MR: usually 30 days from the decision letter.
- Tribunal: usually 1 month from the MR notice.
- ICE: usually 6 months from the final complaint response.
- Late applications can sometimes be accepted — explain the delay in writing.
CMS Help tools
Official links
Transparency
- CMS Help FOI Register — our published requests, not a personal FOI tool
- Corrections log
- About CMS Help