At a glance
| Who runs it | The Child Maintenance Service (CMS), part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) |
| Where it applies | England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own service. |
| Cost to apply | Free. The £20 application fee was scrapped in February 2024. |
| Ongoing fees | None with Direct Pay. With Collect and Pay, 20% on top for the paying parent and 4% off for the receiving parent. |
What child maintenance is
Child maintenance is regular money from the parent who does not usually look after a child, paid towards the child’s everyday costs. Parents can agree it between themselves (a “family-based arrangement”) or either parent can ask the Child Maintenance Service to work out an amount and, if needed, collect it.
The rules come mainly from the Child Support Act 1991 and the Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 2012. You do not need to read them, but it helps to know they exist. When the CMS writes to you, it is applying those rules, and when you challenge a decision you are arguing that they were applied wrongly.
The words the CMS uses
The CMS letters use legal terms. These are the ones you will see most:
- Paying parent. The law calls this the non-resident parent. It is the parent who does not usually provide day to day care.
- Receiving parent. The law calls this the person with care. It is usually the parent the child mainly lives with.
- Qualifying child. A child the calculation is for: under 16, or under 20 and in full-time non-advanced education.
- Effective date. The date the maintenance starts from. It is usually the date the CMS contacts the paying parent, not the date it makes its decision.
- Decision maker. The CMS officer who makes the decision on behalf of the Secretary of State.
There is a longer list on the glossary page.
The labels are not a judgement
Being called the “non-resident parent” says nothing about how involved you are. But the label does matter legally. If care is shared, who is the paying parent is itself a decision you can challenge. See shared care and equal care.
Before anyone can apply
Anyone wanting to use the CMS must first contact Child Maintenance Options, a free and impartial service. It explains the choices, including arranging maintenance privately. You get a reference number to use on the application. If you have experienced domestic abuse you can say so and you will not be pushed towards a private arrangement.
Direct Pay and Collect and Pay
Once the CMS has worked out an amount, the money moves in one of two ways.
| Direct Pay | Collect and Pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Who moves the money | The paying parent pays the receiving parent directly, for example by standing order | The CMS collects from the paying parent and passes it on |
| Fees | None | Paying parent pays an extra 20%. Receiving parent has 4% taken off. |
| When it is used | When both parents agree to it, or the CMS thinks the paying parent will pay | When Direct Pay has not worked, or the receiving parent asks for it and the CMS agrees |
Changes announced but not yet in force
In June 2025 the government announced that Direct Pay would be removed and every case would move to a single collection service, with a lower fee of 2% for both parents. As at October 2026 this has not happened and no start date has been confirmed. Check the blog and GOV.UK for updates.
What happens after an application
- The application is made. Either parent can apply, online or by phone.
- The CMS contacts the other parent. The date of this contact usually becomes the effective date.
- The CMS gets income information. It normally asks HMRC for the paying parent’s taxable income from the latest tax year it has.
- Both parents are asked about the children. This includes how many nights the children stay with each parent. This is where shared care is decided.
- The CMS makes a calculation. Both parents get a letter showing the weekly amount and how it was worked out.
- Payments start. There may already be arrears, because the effective date is usually earlier than the decision.
Read the decision letter the day it arrives
If you disagree with anything in the calculation, you usually have one month from the date on the letter to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. Use the deadline calculator to check yours.
Keeping records from day one
Most disputes come down to evidence. From the first contact:
- Keep every letter, in date order, in one folder
- Write down the date, time, the name of the adviser and what was said in every phone call
- Keep a simple diary of where the children sleep each night
- Save messages with the other parent that show arrangements, without editing them
- Download statements from your online CMS account regularly
The care diary and call log templates make this easier.
Common questions
Do we have to use the CMS?
No. Many parents agree an amount privately, often using the CMS calculator as a guide. A private agreement is not legally enforceable, but either parent can go to the CMS later.
Can the CMS deal with a child who lives in Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland has its own Child Maintenance Service run by the Department for Communities. The rules are very similar but the contact details and some processes differ.
Does child maintenance affect benefits?
Child maintenance received is not counted as income for Universal Credit and most other benefits. Paying it does not reduce your Universal Credit either.
Can I see what the other parent has told the CMS?
You can ask the CMS what evidence it relied on, and you can make a subject access request for your own records. If you appeal, the DWP response bundle includes the evidence the decision was based on.
Sources and law
- Child Support Act 1991
- Child Support Fees Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/612)
- GOV.UK: Child Maintenance Service
- GOV.UK: Making a child maintenance arrangement
