How Child Support Assessment and Calculation Works

When a resident parent (also known as a parent with care) makes a claim for maintenance from a non resident parent an administrative assessment is made by the Child Support Agency, on the parent’s behalf. This assessment follows a legislative formula and collates information about income and circumstances which is then used to calculate the amount of maintenance that is payable.

How It Works

A claim for child support can be made over the phone or by completing an Application for Child Support assessment form, which must be sent to the Child Support Agency (CSA). Each claim is unique and assessment takes into consideration personal circumstances. Detailed information relating to parental income must be carefully assessed before a calculation, of how much maintenance is payable, can be made. In some cases – if the CSA has to trace a non resident parent – this may take considerable time.

Calculation

The child support assessment formula calculates payable maintenance by assessing the cost of raising the child, considering the income and circumstances of both parents and the level of care and support each parent is able, and willing, to give the child. Calculation is made using the weekly net-income of the non resident parent. This can be a basic rate or percentage.

Children from first and subsequent families are treated in exactly the same way, and a self-support amount is also deducted from each parent’s income before assessment is finalised.

There is a basic assessment formula available for parents who require one child support assessment. Parents with other dependent children, or two or more child support assessments must provide additional information in order to process the child support maintenance claim. The same applies for another family member or legal guardian who may live with the child but is not the child’s parent.

Parentage

To make a legal claim for child support maintenance there are a number of basic requirements that must be checked. The CSA will require proof that the parents were married when the child was born, the non resident parent is named on the child’s birth certificate as a parent and a statutory declaration is made by a person stating they are the child’s parent.

For a male parent they will also have to prove that they were living with the mother between 20 and 44 weeks before the birth of their child. In the case of an adopted child evidence of adoption by the parent must be presented.

The CSA And Employers

The CSA can enforce maintenance deductions directly from a parent’s salary. An employer is able to make deductions for child support from an employee’s income. The law imposes penalties for employer obligations that are not met, and these include not keeping appropriate records of the deducted child support and respecting the employee’s privacy.

If a non resident parent is not happy with deductions being taken directly from their income employers can discuss the deductions with the CSA. However, employers are obliged by law to make child support maintenance deductions if the CSA has requested that they do.