What child maintenance is

Child maintenance covers how your child’s living costs will be paid when one of the parents does not live with the child. It’s made when you’ve separated from the other parent or if you’ve never been in a relationship.

This is a financial arrangement between you and the other parent of your child. Making arrangements to see your child happens separately.

Options for arranging child maintenance

Child maintenance can be arranged:

• privately between parents, if both parents agree
• through the Child Maintenance Service

The Child Maintenance Service can:

• work out an amount to pay
• arrange payments and take action if a parent does not pay
• sort out disagreements about parentage
• try to find the other parent if you do not know where they are

How it affects benefits

Child maintenance payments will not affect any benefits that you and your children get.

You will not have to pay tax on them.