A legal loophole which allows parents to avoid paying child maintenance will be closed, under new laws to be brought in within months.
The Government says a "small minority" of parents are avoiding their payments by having a joint account with a partner.
Under the current system, if a parent owes maintenance, payment can only be taken from a bank account held solely by them.
The new rules mean money can be taken from joint accounts, meaning an extra £390,000 could be collected per year.
The department for work and pensions says safeguards will be put in place, such as making sure the parent in question does not have an alternative personal account.
Bank statements will also be reviewed to establish which funds belong to the paying parent and which to the other account holder.
Earlier this year, figures from the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme showed a backlog of more than £3.8 billion in uncollected child maintenance payments.
About 1.2 million people were owed child maintenance payments, according to the research.
Caroline Dineage, the minister for child maintenance, said: "Our priority is for children to get the support they need.
"Only a small minority of parents try to cheat their way out of paying towards their children...and this new power will be another tool to tackle those who do."
