Paying Maintenance or Child Support

Originally written by Angela Armes, updated by the editorial team on 2nd April 2026

Many parents when they split from their partners find themselves paying maintenance or child support to help with the cost of bringing up their children. This figure is designed to help the parent looking after the children cope with the financial strain after the other parent has left the marital home and thus ceased to contribute a salary.

Arranging to Pay For Your Child

There are two ways to arrange financial payment for your child who does not live with you:

Make a private arrangement with your ex-partner. This is often the method if the separation is more amicable.
You can contact the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) who will calculate the regular amount that you should pay for the upkeep and wellbeing of your child. This figure will be calculated on your income and outgoings and is normally paid monthly into the bank account of the person looking after your child.

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What Happens if I don't pay Maintenance?

If you have entered into an agreement with your ex-partner for paying maintenance, you should maintain this agreement. If for any reason you are struggling to make the payments either on time or because of a problem with your own finances, it is best to try to talk the matter through and come to some understanding with your ex or the CSA. Perhaps a reduction in maintenance payments for a time until your problems are resolved is in order?

If you do not pay maintenance and make no effort to communicate your reasons why, your ex-partner can pursue the payment of this money – plus any outstanding payments – through the CMS. They will require you to complete a series of forms and attend an interview to ascertain why he or she has not being making the correct payments.

The CMS can retrieve these maintenance payments by placing an 'Attachment to Earnings'. If you are salaried monthly, the value of your maintenance will be deducted from your salary at source. Your employer will be contacted by the CMS and instructed (and this is a legally binding request) to deduct the value of such monies from your salary before you receive it into your bank account.

If you require further information on maintenance and Child Support and how the scheme works, contact the Child Maintenance Service or visit their website at www.gov.uk/child-maintenance-service.

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Showing 20 of 267 questions

Ask Law and Parents a Question

1234 21/12/2023 at 10:30 am

Hello, my husband has a 19 year old son from a previous marriage who he is still paying child maintenance for. His son is still technically in full time education, doing a level 2 NVQ but is also working 40 hours per week. At what point will the maintenance payments stop? We have the agreement between us rather than through CSA and we can't find anything around what happens if the child is working and whether or not that changes anything. Does anyone know what the rules are please?

Big edd 19/06/2021 at 9:51 am

Do I need to pay cash when my son is working full time

Dons 17/12/2020 at 1:23 pm

I’m after some advice I have a 16 year old with a disability who only does 6 hours education a week as that’s all he can cope with but his dad is now saying he doesn’t have to pay his csa anymore does anyone no anythink about this

HM 19/05/2020 at 8:29 am

Hi, my ex partner originally was told to pay CM through direct payment, however he did not decide to pay. I had to then move to get a DEO which happened for 6 months until he requested it was stopped and he could go back to direct pay, which CMS allowed. Then he never paid, so payments went back to being collected by DEO, this has been for 6 months now and i am die payment which is late and I’m wondering would CMS have allowed him to go back to paying through direct pay and not have notified me due to current conditions? Would he be allowed to change back to direct pay eventhough he has a past history of never making payments this
Way?

El 22/01/2020 at 5:04 pm

If my ex girlfriend (mother to my child) gets married and has 3 more kids, do I have to pay child maintenance ? And at what age does child maintenance stop ?

Sheryl S 03/11/2019 at 5:31 pm

My ex agreed to pay me £150 a month towards our daughter. He WAS having her Friday and Saturday nights every other weekend. Then due to work shifts changing he told me he could no longer collect her on Fridays. He now has her less than 52 nights a year yet has not altered his payments. I work full time and need to pay childcare. He has two other children from a previous marriage but one is over 18, the other is now doing an apprenticeship. I’m not sure what to do as he is far from easy to talk to. I need his payments to increase.

Dee 30/10/2019 at 10:47 am

Is anyone able to help? My ex pays weekly child maintenance but over the school holidays sometimes has our daughter for 3-4 days should he still pay every week even tho he’s had her for longer than a weekend?

Carl 13/06/2019 at 5:26 pm

My ex doesn't pay maintenance for her child and there appears to be no way of getting it out of her. CSA aren't actively involved like they used to be. There needs to be consequences for parents who don't contribute to their child's upbringing.

Wren 28/03/2019 at 11:44 am

I have a 13 year old son, the father has never paid anything towards his up bringing. Can I now claim for child support and will he need to pay for the last 13 years he has been absent.

...... 02/02/2019 at 10:05 pm

Hi

Me and my ex spilt up at the start January. When I moved we agreed I would give her £300 to look after if we ever spilt up or I’d move out.

Her I agreed that I won’t pay her this month but I will pay end of February due fact that she won’t give a penny back. She also kicked out after paying all the rent left me pennless.

Now just been paid she demanding I pay £150 or she going csa I told we agreed that was okay cause she spend all my money for start for deposit.

She also not letting see her for more than two hour on a Sunday.

I have told her I will have 3 nights a week as fair and she treats.

I really don’t what to do. She asked if I could go out get her nappies baby food etc she leaving really bad position what do I do?

gabby 06/11/2018 at 2:59 am

Me and the father split up before my son he gold me he would pay £10 every Sunday to help me . we agreed that he can see him every sunday for couple of hours and he still agreed about the payment when my son was born . its been 8 months and he still not paying me back . according to him his lower told him he shouldn't pay coz he doesn't see him as much . I'm just wondering if he can do this and if its true

Gee 05/11/2018 at 8:13 pm

My partner pays child support arranged by him and the mother of his child. We have 2 children together also. His son is in full time education and also works part time, he is about to turn 18. When are the legal requirements to stop paying, as my partner wants to stop paying the money to the mother as the money doesn’t get spent on his son and start paying the money into his son’s bank. The month also works full time, as does her husband. Any advise if this is possible??

Max 30/10/2018 at 5:10 pm

Me and my partner had an agreement that he would pay weekly, which he has not done. When ever he stopped making payments I would contact him and he would start making payments, but this time he has not paid for a long time. I did not go to the csa, as I did not want him suffer any hardship. Now our daughter is 18. What can I do to receive the back payments from him?

Kerky90 15/08/2018 at 6:18 pm

My partner has a son with his ex we have two children together (I’m on materity leave) my partners son stays with us 3 weekends out of four and for half of the school holidays as we’ve just had him for 12nights as his mum went abroad my partner always picks him up and drops him of which is 30mile drive my partner gives his ex £10 a week buys him clothes for our house and hers and buys him school uniform aswell she also claims for his son and gets ADHD money for him which we’ve never asked for a penny of his money however his ex is always demanding money of my partner will my partner have to pay csa

C909 14/08/2018 at 9:01 pm

Hi just need a bit of advice, I currently give my ex £180 per month so that she has income to support our 2 and a half year old son, because I've been giving her the £180 before my son was born right up until now without ever defaulting on a payment , if she demands more can she get more if she goes through the CSA ? My son lives in Wales and I live in Bristol so I normally have to travel across to see him which costs in terms of travel costs - will CSA take this in to consideration....?

Bumblebee 07/08/2018 at 4:27 pm

Hi I've been paying child maintenance for my two children since 2011. Now my daughter moved out on 17th of January and my son moved out on 21st of may. My ex partner only just informed CSA about this on 10th of July. I've been phoning up regularly and been promised several times that they're going to stop the payments and I will be back payed from the date my son moved out. Now I just spoke to a gentleman today which promised me again they're going to stop the payments and he also in not a polite way informed me they will only back pay it from the date my ex partner phoned that means that she will be getting an extra 2 months of money out of me. Its only £36 a month but as I'm disabled its a lot of money for me to pay. Is there anyway I can get that extra 2 months of money back from my ex

I was also informed that ESA was told on 17th of July to stop the money but as I'm still paying obviously they didn't listen

BellaB 28/07/2018 at 1:24 pm

I left my partner of 24 years in March 2013 (through the support of Womens Aid) we have a 12 year old together and the child lives with me. As we weren't married I have no entitlement to funds/things from the family home, despite paying the £65k deposit from the sale of my old home. I approached my ex with a view to discussing maintenance, I checked the CSA calculator and based on his wages if they chase him he would have to pay £58 per week however I do not want to make his life difficult and think £25 is a reasonable amount. His opinion is he is not paying a penny to keep a roof over my head when our child had a perfectly good home before we left (a good home but terrible life!) He will however buy anything the child wants, designed tops, sportswear etc., I explained it's not about material things, it's about care and well being and he said if I go to CSA he will ignore letters, I said they'd arrest his wages and he replied well I'll pack my job in and then you won't get a penny. I am trying to keep the peace for childs sake but to be honest I had no money for gas last week so we couldn't get hot water for washing for 3 days and he spent over £100 on 3 tops for child, who of course thinks this is great as I always apparently say no to anything they want. (I'm on sick benefit through cancer and subsequent health issues through that) £25 would make such a difference to us.
What I need to ask is, does he legally have to pay for the child or is it only if I chase him for it?

LawAndParents Editor 24/07/2018 at 11:09 am

You could apply to the courts to have the existing order amended - this is usually done via court form C100. It may be worth contacting the passport office and asking them for advice first.

Alex 23/07/2018 at 1:27 pm

I have a 13 yr old son and have been divorced for over 10 yrs. The father has no relationship with my son and contacts him very sporadically. His location is unknown.
Due to changes in the law I am unable to renew his passport without his father's permission therefore I need to amend my current residence order to allow me to renew his passport without his permission.
Please could you advise on procedure to do this?

LawAndParents Editor 23/07/2018 at 12:50 pm

If the father refuses to pay child maintenance when asked, you can contact the Child Maintenance Service to ask them to take the money. First check out the CM Options website for further information.

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