It is taking longer than usual to set up Child Maintenance Service cases because of coronavirus (COVID-19). Once your case is set up 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 can ask someone else to deal with your Child Maintenance Service case for you When payments start The first payment is usually made within 12 weeks of making payment arrangements. Payments may take longer because of coronavirus.

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. Contact the Child Maintenance Service if you’re having problems paying. You can adjust your payment plan if you’re self-isolating because of coronavirus (COVID-19). 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 Collection and payment schedules 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.

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.

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. How you contact the Child Maintenance Service depends on the change you are reporting. Either parent You can contact the Child Maintenance Service by phone or online, depending on what you need to report. Report by phone Call the Child Maintenance Service if: a parent or a child has died one of the parents is adopting a child you want to close your case Report online Report to the Child Maintenance Service online if either: you want to change from using a payment collection service to a Direct Pay service , or the other way around there’s a change to the number of nights a child regularly stays overnight with the paying parent Paying parent You can contact the Child Maintenance Service by phone or online, depending on what you need to report. Report by phone Call the Child Maintenance Service if you: stop working for an employer stop being self-employed have lost your job or you’re temporarily receiving Statutory Sick Pay want to restart your payments have received notification of a court or tribunal date have received notification of a deduction order from a bank Your payments may be reduced for a period. You’ll get a payment schedule with the new amount. If you pay child maintenance through deductions in your earnings and you leave your job, you must tell the Child Maintenance Service: the date you left your last job the name and address of your new employer (if any) how much you expect to earn your new payroll number (if any) You should also report details about children who you or your partner have registered for Child Benefit, for example: any changes to the number of children living with you if any child living with you reaches the age of 20 Report online Report to the Child Maintenance Service online if: you start working for an employer you start being self-employed you move house (give your new address within 7 days of moving) you change your phone number (including mobile number) your income has changed by 25% or more Receiving parent You can contact the Child Maintenance Service by phone or online, depending on what you need to report. Report by phone Call the Child Maintenance Service if: there’s a change to the number of children living with you that you get child maintenance for there’s a change to the number of children that you or your partner have registered for Child Benefit a child you get child maintenance for leaves full-time education (up to and including A Level) or reaches the age of 20 you or any of the children you get child maintenance for no longer live in the UK Report online Report to the Child Maintenance Service online if: you find out that the paying parent is coming off benefits you’re moving house or know that the other parent is your phone number (including mobile number) changes the paying parent’s income has changed by 25% or more (unless they’ve lost their income - they should report it themselves by phone) When you report a change You might need to provide: employers’ details or payslips benefits information a tax return or an explanation of what you think you’ll earn if you’re self-employed 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 When changes could affect your payments Changes to your circumstances may mean a change to the amount of child maintenance you pay or receive. You can find out how child maintenance is worked out .

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.

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.

You can only call the Child Maintenance Service if: a parent or a child has died one of the parents is adopting a child you want to close your case you have lost your job or you’re temporarily receiving Statutory Sick Pay you have been contacted by the Child Maintenance Service in the last 5 days and have been asked to call them you want to restart your payments you have received notification of a court or tribunal date you have received notification of a deduction order from a bank Call the number you were given if you’ve recently applied to the Child Maintenance Service. You’ll also find the number and opening hours: in your welcome pack at the top of any letter from the Child Maintenance Service If you’re a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use the video relay service . It’s available Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 3:30pm - check you can use the service . There are different contact details if you live in Northern Ireland . Report all other changes online . Employer helplines Get help from the Employer Support Team if you need to make child maintenance deductions from an employee’s pay. You’ll find the number: in your employer welcome pack at the top of any letter from the Child Maintenance Service

Manage your Child Maintenance Service case

Overview

It is taking longer than usual to set up Child Maintenance Service cases because of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Once your case is set up 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
can ask someone else to deal with your Child Maintenance Service case for you

When payments start

The first payment is usually made within 12 weeks of making payment arrangements. Payments may take longer because of coronavirus.

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