Child Maintenance
Child maintenance is paid by a non-resident parent to help you raise their child. So if you care for a child whose other parent lives elsewhere - that parent should give you money. The Child Support Agency can work out and collect child maintenance for you.
You can ask for child maintenance to be worked out and collected if any of the following apply:
- you are getting child benefit
- you are a parent with care of your child
- you are a parent not living with your child
- you are another person caring for a child
Special rules apply if any of the following apply:
- you have care of your child and you get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- there are other maintenance arrangements for your child
- you or the other parent live outside the UK
In Scotland, the CSA can also accept applications from a child aged 12 or over - who can apply in their own right.
You won't get child maintenance from a parent who is:
- a student in full-time education (on a recognised course involving at least 12 hours a week tuition)
- aged 16 to 19 and in full-time 'non-advanced' education (up to A level, NVQ level 3 or equivalent)
- in prison
- living in a residential care or nursing home and getting help with the fees
You won't usually get the CSA to pursue your application for child maintenance if the parent involved lives outside the UK - unless they work for a UK-based employer or serve with HM Armed Forces.
The amount of child maintenance a non-resident parent has to pay usually depends on:
- the non-resident parent's income after tax
- the number of children who qualify for maintenance
- the number of other children living with the non-resident parent
You can use the CSA's 'maintenance calculator' to see how much you may be paid.
External websites:
Contact us:
Families Information Service
3rd Floor, New Town House
Buttermarket Street
Warrington, WA1 2NJ
Tel: 01925 443131
Email: fis@warrington.gov.uk
