A statutory arrangement through the CMS should not be the default option and parents should consider whether they can make an arrangement without intervention from the Government – which is usually better for children. Fees and charges are key to that ambition and designed to encourage parents to think about whether they need to use the CMS at all, or whether they are able to manage aspects of the arrangement more independently through a Direct Pay arrangement. The Government is clear that charges are the right approach for current users of the service. Applying proportionate charges to all customers that use the service ensures fairness and consistency. Means testing collect and pay charges could lead to some perverse incentives and add complexity into the system as there is currently no means test for the receiving parent and their income is not taken into account within the calculation. Fees