To ask the Minister for Communities whether his Department has formal guidance or service standards specifying the expected timescale for completing a child maintenance appeal from the date it is lodged until a final decision is issued.

Appeals on a maintenance calculation decision made by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) are dealt with independently by The Appeals Service (TAS), Department of Justice.

Upon receipt of a Notice of Appeal from TAS, CMS will prepare a response outlining the Departments position in respect of the maintenance calculation decision. This is known as the Departments submission. CMS have an internal target to respond to TAS within 12 weeks of the notice of appeal being received.

The Appeals Service NI does not have a standard operating timescale for dealing with a Child Maintenance Appeal.