The Child Maintenance Service is for parents who have not been able to make a private arrangement for paying their child’s living costs. Once you’ve set up a Child Maintenance Service case, you: can manage your case online need to report any changes to your circumstances , for example changes to your employment, benefits or the people who live with you This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) .

Making and getting payments

Child maintenance can be paid: between parents directly from the paying parent’s earnings - arranged with their employer by Direct Debit by reducing the paying parent’s benefits Payments are paid into the receiving parent’s bank account. The receiving parent has main day-to-day care of the child. The paying parent does not have main day-to-day care. Tell the Child Maintenance Service if you’re having problems paying. If you’re experiencing domestic abuse or controlling behaviour Tell the Child Maintenance Service . They can arrange payments with your child’s other parent for you. If you’ve changed your name, you can arrange child maintenance without the other parent knowing your new name. If you do not want the other parent to know where you live, ask your bank to set up an account with a ‘non-geographic’ sort code. The Child Maintenance Service can give you a letter for your bank explaining why you need to set up this type of account. Making payments yourself Once the Child Maintenance Service has worked out an amount , you can make the payments yourself. This is called Direct Pay. The easiest way to pay is by standing order - payments go direct from the paying parent’s bank, building society or Post Office account into the receiving parent’s account. The Child Maintenance Service can still enforce missed payments. Keep a record of payments in case there are any problems in the future. Either parent can choose Direct Pay without needing the other’s consent, unless there’s evidence that the paying parent is unlikely to pay. Arranging payments for you If you’re using the Child Maintenance Service to collect and pass on payments, they’ll arrange this based on when the paying parent is paid their wages, pension or benefits. This is called Collect and Pay. You must tell the Child Maintenance Service about any Direct Pay transactions you make or receive while you’re signed up to the Collect and Pay service. Collection fees You have to pay a fee each time you make or receive a regular child maintenance payment. The fee is: 20% (which is added to the payment) for paying parents 4% (which is taken off the payment) for receiving parents You cannot avoid collection fees by making payments in advance. You will not have to pay: any fees if you choose a private arrangement collection fees if you use Direct Pay When you’ll pay or receive the money If you’re the paying parent you’ll be sent a letter explaining how much you need to pay and when. This is called a payment plan. If you’re the receiving parent, you’ll be sent a letter telling you what payments will be made and when. This is called an expected payment plan. The first payment is usually made within 12 weeks of making payment arrangements.

If a parent does not pay

The Child Maintenance Service will take action if child maintenance is not paid. Enforcement charges Action taken by the Child Maintenance Service Charge Liability order £300 Lump sum deduction order £200 Regular deduction order £50 Deduction from earnings request or order £50 What action is taken The Child Maintenance Service will take action immediately if the paying parent pays through them. If the paying parent used the Child Maintenance Service to calculate child maintenance but pays directly, the receiving parent needs to ask the service to take action.

Disagreements about parentage

When someone denies they’re the parent of a child, the Child Maintenance Service will: ask them for evidence proving they’re not the parent tell the other parent what’s happened and ask for evidence to prove parentage If there’s no evidence to prove they’re not the parent, the Child Maintenance Service can: ask both parents to take a DNA test ask the courts to make a decision Assumed parentage The Child Maintenance Service can assume parentage if the person named as the parent: was married to the child’s mother at any time between the conception and birth of the child (unless the child was adopted) is named on the child’s birth certificate (unless the child was adopted) has taken a DNA test that shows they’re the parent has legally adopted the child is named in a court order as the parent when the child was born to a surrogate mother If parentage is assumed, they’ll work out a child maintenance amount. The person named as the parent has to pay this until they can prove that they’re not the parent. Paying child maintenance during a disagreement When a child maintenance amount has already been worked out, the person named as the parent has to pay until they can provide evidence they’re not the parent. When the amount has not been worked out, the service managing the case will not work it out or ask for payment until the disagreement has been sorted out. If the person is found to be the parent, the amount of child maintenance they have to pay will be back-dated. Named person proves they’re not the parent When this happens, the Child Maintenance Service may: refund any payments made after the date they first denied they were the parent, or offset the amount against maintenance for another child refund the cost of any DNA tests arranged through the service They may also ask the other parent to pay back any child maintenance. Refunds depend on the circumstances of each case.

Changes you need to report

There are some changes you must tell the Child Maintenance Service about by law. You should report the change as soon as it happens. Either parent can report a change by contacting the Child Maintenance Service . Changes to your circumstances may mean a change to the amount of child maintenance you pay or receive. Find out how child maintenance is worked out . What you need to report Tell the Child Maintenance Service if: you change how often the child stays overnight with the other parent you change who the child’s main carer is you want to change how you make and get payments using Direct Pay or Collect and Pay you move house (give your new address within 7 days of moving) you change your bank details you change your phone number you want someone else to deal with your case for you you add a child to your case the child leaves full-time education (up to and including A Level or equivalent) the child is being adopted by someone else you want to close your case the child no longer lives in the UK someone on the case dies There are extra changes that need to be reported about the paying parent. Either parent can tell the Child Maintenance Service if the paying parent: misses a payment makes any voluntary payments on top of existing payments has an income change of 25% or more, or no longer has an income is spending more or less money in order to see the child, for example on transport costs If you do not give the right information You could be taken to court and fined up to £1,000 if you: do not give the information you are asked for give information that you know is false This applies to any person or organisation who, by law, must give the Child Maintenance Service information, for example: employers accountants either parent If you are the paying parent, you will not be taken to court or fined if you made a mistake when you reported your income. You must report the mistake by contacting the Child Maintenance Service as soon as possible so that you pay the right amount of child maintenance.

Complaints and appeals

Contact the Child Maintenance Service if you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received. If you’re not satisfied with how the Child Maintenance Service deals with your complaint, ask for it to go to a senior manager and be looked at by the DWP Complaints team. Independent Case Examiner You can ask the Independent Case Examiner ( ICE ) to look into your complaint if you’ve already been through the full complaints process. You must not contact the Independent Case Examiner until you’ve received a final response from the Child Maintenance Service saying you can do so. If you’re unhappy with the response from the Independent Case Examiner, you can ask your MP to get the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to look into it. If your complaint is valid The Child Maintenance Service will: apologise and explain what went wrong make any changes needed to put it right If you’ve been treated particularly badly, you may get a consolatory payment. However, you do not have a legal right to this. Appeals You can appeal a child maintenance decision about payment amounts. Before you can appeal, you must contact the Child Maintenance Service to ask for the decision to be looked at again. This is called ‘ mandatory reconsideration ’. You’ll need to say why you disagree with the decision. If you’re unhappy with the outcome of the mandatory reconsideration, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. The tribunal is impartial and independent of government. Appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal Appeal to the tribunal within one month of getting the mandatory reconsideration decision. If you submit your appeal after a month you’ll have to explain why you did not do it earlier. Download and fill in form SSCS2 and send it to the address on the form. You’ll need to choose whether you want to go to the tribunal hearing to explain your case. If you do not attend, your appeal will be decided on your appeal form and any supporting evidence. After you submit your appeal, you can provide evidence. Your appeal and the evidence will be discussed at a hearing by a judge and one or two experts. The judge will then make a decision. It usually takes around 6 months for your appeal to be heard by the tribunal.

Report changes online Report changes to your circumstances through your online account . Call the Child Maintenance Service Child Maintenance Service Telephone: 0800 171 2345 Welsh language: 0800 232 1979 Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 171 2345 Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 3.30pm Find out about call charges British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service Watch a video to check you can use the service . Go to the video relay service . Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 3.30pm There’s a different phone number if you live in Northern Ireland . Contact the Child Maintenance Service by post You can also write to the Child Maintenance Service. Child Maintenance Service (England, Scotland, Wales cases) Child Maintenance Service 21 Mail Handling Site A Wolverhampton WV98 2BU Child Maintenance Service (Northern Ireland cases) Child Maintenance Service 24 Mail Handling Site A Wolverhampton WV98 2BU

Manage your Child Maintenance Service case

Overview

The Child Maintenance Service is for parents who have not been able to make a private arrangement for paying their child’s living costs.

Once you’ve set up a Child Maintenance Service case, you:

can manage your case online
need to report any changes to your circumstances, for example changes to your employment, benefits or the people who live with you

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

View a printable version of the whole guide

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