Child Maintenance Service: What child maintenance is - GOV.UK

Child Maintenance Service: What child maintenance is - GOV.UK
Cookies on GOV.UK
We use some essential cookies to make this website work.
We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.
We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.
You have accepted additional cookies.
You can
change your cookie settings
at any time.
You have rejected additional cookies.
You can
change your cookie settings
at any time.
View cookies
Skip to main content
Child Maintenance Service
Skip contents
What child maintenance is
Child maintenance covers how your child’s living costs will be paid when one of the parents does not live with the child. It’s made when you’ve separated from the other parent or if you’ve never been in a relationship.
This is a financial arrangement between you and the other parent of your child.
Making arrangements to see your child
happens separately.
This guide is also available
in Welsh (Cymraeg)
.
You must have a child maintenance arrangement if your child is under 16 (or under 20 if they are in
approved education or training
).
Both parents are responsible for the costs of raising their children, even if they do not see them.
Sign in to your Child Maintenance Service account
if you already have one.
Options for arranging child maintenance
Child maintenance can be arranged:
privately between parents
, if both parents agree
through the Child Maintenance Service
The Child Maintenance Service can:
work out an amount to pay
arrange payments
and take action if a parent does not pay
sort out
disagreements about parentage
try to find the other parent if you do not know where they are
If you do not want your child’s other parent to contact you or your child
You can
use the Child Maintenance Service
to arrange child maintenance if you do not want your child’s other parent to know your location or personal information.
Find out how to get help if you’re experiencing domestic abuse
.
How it affects benefits
Child maintenance payments will not affect any benefits that you and your children get, including Universal Credit. You will not have to pay tax on them.
View a printable version of the whole guide
Related content
Is this page useful?
Maybe
Thank you for your feedback
Help us improve GOV.UK
To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today.
Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab
)
.