What child maintenance actually is
Child maintenance is money paid towards a child's everyday living costs — food, clothes, heating, a home — when one parent doesn't live with them. It's owed whether the parents were married, in a relationship, or never together, and it's separate from arrangements about seeing the child (contact). One doesn't depend on the other: a paying parent still owes maintenance even if they don't see the child, and a parent can't withhold contact because maintenance is unpaid.
You normally need a child maintenance arrangement while the child is under 16, or under 20 if they're in approved education or training (for example, A-levels or an apprenticeship, but not university). Crucially, child maintenance does not affect any benefits you or your children get — including Universal Credit — and you don't pay tax on it.
Two roles
The paying parent is the one who doesn't have main day-to-day care. The receiving parent has main day-to-day care. The Child Maintenance Service uses these terms throughout.
Your three options
There are three ways to arrange child maintenance. Most parents are encouraged to try the free private route first, but the Child Maintenance Service is there when that isn't possible or safe.
| Option | How it works | What it costs |
|---|
| Family-based arrangement |
You and the other parent agree an amount and pay each other directly. Private, flexible, no paperwork. Not legally binding. |
Free |
| Direct Pay (via CMS) |
The Child Maintenance Service works out the correct amount, then the parents pay each other directly. The CMS isn't involved in collecting the money. |
No collection charges |
| Collect & Pay (via CMS) |
The CMS works out the amount, collects it from the paying parent and passes it to the receiving parent, and takes enforcement action if payments are missed. |
Paying parent pays +20% on top; 4% is taken off the receiving parent |
If you simply want the CMS to calculate the fair amount but you're happy to receive the money yourself, Direct Pay is usually the cheapest CMS route — it avoids the Collect & Pay charges entirely. Collect & Pay exists for when the paying parent won't pay reliably or there's no trust between the parents.
Coming change (proposed)
In June 2025 the government set out plans to reform CMS fees — from 2027–28 the proposal is a single collection service with a 2% charge for compliant users, while non-compliant paying parents would still be charged 20%. These are proposals and not yet in force — the current charges above (20% / 4%) still apply. Always check GOV.UK for the live position.
How the amount is worked out
If you use the Child Maintenance Service, it follows six steps. The starting point is the paying parent's gross weekly income — their income before tax and National Insurance, but after any private or workplace pension contributions. The CMS gets this figure directly from HMRC.
One of five rates then applies, depending on that weekly income:
| Gross weekly income | Rate | What's paid |
|---|
| Unknown / not provided | Default | £38 (1 child), £51 (2), £64 (3+) |
| Below £7 | Nil | £0 |
| £7 to £100, or on benefits | Flat | £7 a week |
| £100.01 to £199.99 | Reduced | Worked out by a formula |
| £200 to £3,000 | Basic | 12% (1 child), 16% (2), 19% (3+) |
So on the basic rate, a paying parent earning a gross weekly income within the £200–£3,000 band pays a percentage of it: about 12% for one child, 16% for two children, and 19% for three or more — before the reductions below. (Higher earners in the band have a slightly different two-tier calculation, but these percentages are the headline figures.)
If the paying parent's gross weekly income is more than £3,000, the CMS calculates on the first £3,000 and the receiving parent can apply to the court for a top-up.
Two reductions that lower the amount
1. Shared care (overnight stays). If the child stays overnight with the paying parent for 52 or more nights a year, the amount is reduced on a sliding scale (it can't drop below £7 a week):
| Overnight stays per year | Reduction |
|---|
| 52 to 103 nights | 1/7 off (about 14.29%) |
| 104 to 155 nights | 2/7 off (about 28.57%) |
| 156 to 174 nights | 3/7 off (about 42.86%) |
| 175 nights or more | Half off, plus a further £7 a week reduction |
2. Other children. If the paying parent supports other children (for example children living with them, or other maintenance arrangements), their gross weekly income is reduced before the percentage is applied — roughly 11% for one other child, 14% for two, and 16% for three or more.
Get a real figure for your situation
The free GOV.UK child maintenance calculator shows what the government is likely to work out for you — it does the bands, the shared-care reduction and the other-children adjustment in one go. It's the most reliable estimate before you apply.
If your ex won't pay
A family-based arrangement or Direct Pay relies on the paying parent actually paying. If they stop, you can ask the Child Maintenance Service to move you onto Collect & Pay, which has real enforcement powers. The CMS can:
- Set up a deduction from earnings order — the maintenance is taken straight from the paying parent's wages by their employer before they're paid.
- Take money directly from their bank or building society account (a regular deduction, or a lump sum to clear arrears).
- Use court action for persistent non-payment — which can lead to the paying parent losing their driving licence or passport, having goods seized, or in the most serious cases a prison sentence.
The CMS can also track down a paying parent whose whereabouts you don't know, using HMRC, employers, banks and other government records.
Report missed payments early
Don't wait for arrears to build up. Call the Child Maintenance Service on 0800 171 2345 (or use your online account) as soon as a payment is missed — the sooner enforcement starts, the more likely the money is recovered.
If you've experienced domestic abuse
You should never feel forced into direct contact with an abusive ex to sort out money for your child. The Child Maintenance Service has specific protections, and they matter.
Your safety comes first
• You can use the Child Maintenance Service without the other parent knowing your address or personal details — your location is not shared. Tell the CMS if it isn't safe for the other parent to know where you are or your current name.
• There is no application fee (it was removed for everyone in 2024), so cost is never a barrier to using the service.
• If you've experienced domestic abuse you can ask to use Collect & Pay so you never have to deal with the paying parent directly — the CMS handles the money in between.
• For confidential support 24/7, the free National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge) is on 0808 2000 247. In immediate danger, always call 999 — if you can't speak, press 55 when prompted.
Do this now
If you need to set up child maintenance — or sort out payments that have stopped — here's the calm, free way to start:
Arrange child maintenance
- Get an estimate first. Use the free GOV.UK child maintenance calculator so you know roughly what's fair before any conversation.
- Start the official tool. Use the free "Get help arranging child maintenance" service on GOV.UK — it walks you through your options. There's no application fee.
- Or call the CMS. The Child Maintenance Service is on 0800 171 2345 (Mon–Fri 8am–6pm). Have your National Insurance number and bank details ready, and say if it isn't safe for the other parent to know your location.
- Need impartial guidance? Child Maintenance Options (via the same service) and Citizens Advice can talk you through whether a private arrangement, Direct Pay or Collect & Pay is right for you.
Both parents share the cost of raising a child — asking for maintenance isn't asking for a favour.
For free, confidential help: Citizens Advice explains all three options, and MoneyHelper has a guide to working out a fair amount.
Across the whole UK
The good news: the rates and options are the same across all four UK nations. The only difference is which service you go through.
England, Wales & Scotland
You use the Child Maintenance Service via GOV.UK and the 0800 171 2345 line. The same five rate bands, the same 12%/16%/19% basic rate, the same shared-care reductions and the same Direct Pay / Collect & Pay options apply.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland runs its own Child Maintenance Service through nidirect, but it applies the same rates and the same options as the rest of the UK — family-based arrangement, Direct Pay and Collect & Pay, with the same enforcement powers.
See nidirect — child maintenance rates explained for the Northern Ireland service.