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How the CSA Works

By: Anna Martin - Updated: 12 Oct 2023 | comments*Discuss
 
Csa Child Support Agency Payments

It is the Child Support Agency’s aim to reduce child poverty in the UK. The CSA provides a means by which parents with care can collect maintenance payments, for their child or children, from the non resident parent. As part of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission the CSA is able to trace non resident parents and enforce financial responsibility.

What The CSA Does

By collecting information, regarding income and circumstances, from the parent with care, the Child Support Agency can assess and process a maintenance claim, collect periodic payments and distribute the funds to the parent with care. The agency’s aim is to support the main carer of the child, or children, throughout the maintenance set-up process. This is done by calculating the amount of payable maintenance and handling the payments from the non resident parent.

The CSA also has the power to track down absent parents who avoid paying child support maintenance. Tracking is done by accessing information held by government departments like HM Revenue & Customs, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and agencies like Jobcentre Plus. Specialist tracing companies are also used by the CSA, and the agency has the power to take someone to court and impose a fine of up to £1,000 for failure to provide information.

Child Support Agency Activities

The CSA maintains contact with parents with care and non resident parents in order to facilitate the maintenance process. The CSA will discuss the amount of maintenance that is payable and provide payment options for the parents to consider. The agency also ensures that the suggested periodic payments are continually made by monitoring maintenance and taking any necessary action to re-establish payments and recovery of child support maintenance arrears.

When enforcement action has to be taken the CSA will continue to provide information regarding the individual case, to the parent with care, so that they are able to consider all options and update claim application details.

The Action The CSA Take

Having collected relevant information from the parent with care the Child Support Agency then processes the application and requests maintenance payment from the non resident parent. The payment can be taken directly from the parent’s wages, if they refuse to pay maintenance. The CSA can also use the courts to claim the payment, and can freeze accounts, register the parent’s debt, force the sale of property, confiscate a driving licence or send the parent to prison.

How Parents Can Take Action

An increasing amount of liability orders are granted each year. Appealing against a CSA decision is a simple process that requires the parent contacting the agency and requesting an explanation of the decision. A formal appeal can also be requested by submitting the appeal to the Social Security Child Support Appeals Tribunal. Around half of the appeals currently made are resolved directly within the CSA.

CSA Changes

Child maintenance arrangements made through the Child Support Agency (CSA) will be ending between now and the end 2017. If the CSA currently handles your child maintenance, you’ll get a letter telling you:when your child maintenance arrangement will end and how and when to make new child maintenance arrangements. The Child Maintenance Service(CMS), is the agency which is replacing CSA.

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I look after my child the same amount of time as my child's mother. My child goes to boarding school do I still need to pay child support to the mother?
Fly - 12-Oct-23 @ 12:58 AM
My dad hasn't paid a thing for me I am now 34 years old am I die anything I have a son now who I want to make sure is comfortable later on in life
Nam - 21-Jul-23 @ 11:26 PM
Me and my partner have separated the child will be living with me soon. She has now re married. She dosnt work but her husband does and earns a good wage. Would I be able to claim CSA for my child coming from his wage ?
Robby - 11-Dec-22 @ 8:54 PM
I currently pay my ex £360 a month, we are not married but have two kids ages are 17 & 23 , I don't go through the CSA but next month I'm being made redundant, does anyone know if I would still have to pay this ?
Linklonk - 29-Jul-22 @ 9:31 PM
Do I have to pay if I have one of my kids living with me and the other two live with there mother
Skeg - 27-Aug-21 @ 4:01 PM
My children and I escaped domestic abuse 5 years ago. Father doesn’t have contact and we were moved and given name changes. I never claimed CSA as he threatened us and my family if I ever did. Is there any way you can safely claim without them finding out your new names and area you live? For instance, if it went to court would it be a court local to you so they know your approximate location?
Queenie - 24-Jul-21 @ 1:35 PM
My son is 11 years old his dad has never paid a penny. I know he lives in dusseldolf Germany. But not sure of address. Is there any way csa can trace him to get him to pay child maintenance
Vicki - 27-Dec-20 @ 5:16 PM
Hello, I had a one night stand in January with a woman who tells me she’s pregnant and I COULD be the father. The child is now born and I’m in a relationship with someone and engaged. The child’s mother wants me to accept the child is mine but rang the police for harassment when I tried to sort out a dna test. I haven’t got the money just yet for legal but I’m saving. Can I contact CSA as a father and will they do a DNA? Thank you
Sc - 9-Nov-20 @ 7:46 AM
I Have being paying an agreed amount (£200) per week to support my children since my divorce back in may 2017.this as about £50 more than what the Gov calculatedas they were being home schooled at the time. A lot of this was agreed during the divorce process during which i had a sever mental health breakdown and as not of sound mind (i kind of just buried my head in the sand and agreed to things just to get it out of the way as it was making me very ill) fast forward 3 years and my circumstances have changed considerably (lower income and kids now in mainstream education) I am struggling with the court payments of £200 a week as its about 40-45% of my weekly after tax income and I have asked if I can lower them, but its met with the threat of legal action. I have had no reviews as such in that time and i have also found out that my payments have been used as "secure income" against a mortgage with out my consent. Where do i stand in this situation... im making my self increasingly ill due to money worries and what feels like blackmail
Hyperion57 - 9-Oct-20 @ 12:08 PM
Hi, my partners 16.5 yr old daughter has decided to go and stay with her father. My partner had full custody ( residential) 9 years agoafter the divorce and collected money through the CSA for Maintenance. The father never wanted to pay and after the CSA was closed down he reduced the amount significantly. My partner has nothing to do with him and contact is zero so nothing was ever done.He still stops a payment now and then at will. But my question is , my partner understands his payments will stop but will my partner now have to pay him child maintenance for her staying there?
Darrell - 2-Jul-20 @ 9:49 AM
Would like to understsnd how it works if your ex runs his own buisness but has been known for fiddling his books in the past so it lookes like he doesnt earn as much as he actaully does is there anyway around this without proof?
Mandy - 12-Mar-20 @ 1:52 PM
Hi, I'm after some advise on what to do.. my daughter is 6 months old and her so called father has never seen her and wasnt around during the pregnancy even though the baby was very much planned.. this is because of various reasons... I'm now wanting him to pay for his child but am unsure if I want to do this for the fact that I dont want him to then have any rights towards his child (access etc) please help!
Carla. - 7-Feb-20 @ 9:05 AM
I want to know how to find my daughters dad as he owes me child maintenance money
Jackie - 5-Aug-19 @ 1:34 AM
Hi need some advice trying to apply for CM however they want a address for my husband which I don't know have given employers address have been told I'f I cant get this address the case will be on hold and if they cant get hold of him cant get paid what do I do?
Sid - 19-Jul-19 @ 7:02 PM
Hi, my daughter is having problems receiving cse from ex husband, apparently his work will not release the money ? Is this correct ? Can this be done ? I thought once cse involved the money was sorted and guaranteed , I’ve never known such a shambles , any one can advise ,please .
Jv - 4-Jul-19 @ 7:15 AM
Hi my ex say he's just got off the phone from the CSA people. And he say that they have told him everything I've said to them over the phone call is this right ?
Cross 77 - 23-Feb-19 @ 6:29 PM
I would like some advice please. My ex husband has been under paying me for over 3 years and I have only just realised. We have 3 children and it has now turned quite sour and I've asked him to adjust it to the amount based on the calculator and he is refusing saying he won't find my lifestyle! It's ridiculous! Am I entitled to back payments?.. do I have to agree on the previous amount set?.. Thank you in advance
Lauren - 3-Nov-18 @ 10:34 AM
I would like to know where I stand in regards to the situation I’m in. I will try to outline it and hope you can help. Firstly I was seeing a girl casually, who told me she was on the pill. We had a conversation previously about protection and also around what would would happen in the event of an accidental pregnancy. She assured me that she would terminate and that as she was on the pill, we wouldn’t need condoms. This was all lead by her. We spoke about it only being a casual, set only arrangement and were clear on all the boundaries. She then told me that she was pregnant and wasn’t on the pill whilst we were seeing each other. I told her in no uncertain terms that I didn’t want her to go through with it and would like her to terminate based on the parameters of that relationship. She’s told me she is keeping it and has also told me she will pursue me for child maintainable to pay my way. I believe that she has knowingly planned for this and has acted to trap me. Where do I stand?
CW - 4-Oct-18 @ 12:18 PM
I would like to know where I stand in regards to the situation I’m in. I will try to outline it and hope you can help. Firstly I was seeing a girl casually, who told me she was on the pill. We had a conversation previously about protection and also around what would would happen in the event of an accidental pregnancy. She assured me that she would terminate and that as she was on the pill, we wouldn’t need condoms. This was all lead by her. We spoke about it only being a casual, set only arrangement and were clear on all the boundaries. She then told me that she was pregnant and wasn’t on the pill whilst we were seeing each other. I told her in no uncertain terms that I didn’t want her to go through with it and would like her to terminate based on the parameters of that relationship. She’s told me she is keeping it and has also told me she will pursue me for child maintainable to pay my way. I believe that she has knowingly planned for this and has acted to trap me. Where do I stand?
CW - 4-Oct-18 @ 11:37 AM
I would like to know where I stand in regards to the situation I’m in. I will try to outline it and hope you can help. Firstly I was seeing a girl casually, who told me she was on the pill. We had a conversation previously about protection and also around what would would happen in the event of an accidental pregnancy. She assured me that she would terminate and that as she was on the pill, we wouldn’t need condoms. This was all lead by her. We spoke about it only being a casual, set only arrangement and were clear on all the boundaries. She then told me that she was pregnant and wasn’t on the pill whilst we were seeing each other. I told her in no uncertain terms that I didn’t want her to go through with it and would like her to terminate based on the parameters of that relationship. She’s told me she is keeping it and has also told me she will pursue me for child maintainable to pay my way. I believe that she has knowingly planned for this and has acted to trap me. Where do I stand?
CW - 4-Oct-18 @ 11:22 AM
So how would the family based arrangement affect the payments that are made to the mother that is receiving payments through cms? How do they calculate what I should pay when an arrangement is made with one mother using cms and the other not?
Ohmydays - 21-Sep-18 @ 4:20 PM
Ohmydays - Your Question:
I would like to know how child maintenance would be worked out if 2 mothers claimed for 2 children each. Also how is one mothers calculated if the other is set up through a family based arrangement. Simply I want to make sure both get an even share and I'm not left broke

Our Response:
Calculated on the basic rate where the child spends overnights with the resident parent, then for one child the paying parent will pay 12% of their gross weekly income, for two children 16% and for three of more children, they will pay 19% of their gross weekly income. This will be distributed fairly among the receiving parents (if the payments are processed via CMS). If the parents have a family-based child maintenance arrangement the agreement is made mutually between the parents.
ChildSupportLaws - 21-Sep-18 @ 12:42 PM
I would like to know how child maintenance would be worked out if 2 mothers claimed for 2 children each. Also how is one mothers calculated if the other is set up through a family based arrangement. Simply I want to make sure both get an even share and I'm not left broke
Ohmydays - 20-Sep-18 @ 6:24 PM
Steph - Your Question:
I was due to get first payment flat rate of £7 a week at start of the month through direct pay, it wasn't paid. I contacted cms and my ex partner no longer receives benefits and they have no income from hmrc so what happens now? Cms have written to him asking about his current situation and he hasn't responded and won't answer his phone, I believe he is no longer living at the address cms have for him

Our Response:
Unless your ex has an income either through benefits or work (and is paying tax through HMRC) then CMS will not try to take a payment from him. If your ex owes money, then this will be attributed to arrears.
ChildSupportLaws - 10-May-18 @ 10:49 AM
I was due to get first payment flat rate of £7 a week at start of the month through direct pay, it wasn't paid. I contacted cms and my ex partner no longer receives benefits and they have no income from hmrc so what happens now? Cms have written to him asking about his current situation and he hasn't responded and won't answer his phone, I believe he is no longer living at the address cms have for him
Steph - 9-May-18 @ 12:32 PM
Unknown - Your Question:
Hi my daughter's father went to prision nothing to do with not paying chill maintenance, should I have told child maintenance that hes in prison or not??

Our Response:
You can see more via the link here , which will help answer your question.
ChildSupportLaws - 15-Jan-18 @ 11:13 AM
Hi my daughter's father went to prision nothing to do with not paying chill maintenance, should I have told child maintenance that hes in prison or not??
Unknown - 14-Jan-18 @ 2:43 PM
Lily - Your Question:
I slept with 2 people around the same time and found out I was pregnant I recently given birth and don't know who the father is. Neither of the people I slept with are interested can I get CSA involved

Our Response:
You can get CMS involved as all non-resident biological parents of a child are responsible for helping to support the day-to-day needs of their child. If you are not sure who the father is, then you would have to request a DNA test is done to establish who the father is, please see link here. You would need to speak to CMS directly regarding this.
ChildSupportLaws - 8-Jan-18 @ 12:26 PM
I slept with 2 people around the same time and found out I was pregnant I recently given birth and don't know who the father is. Neither of the people I slept with are interested can I get CSA involved
Lily - 6-Jan-18 @ 4:39 PM
He my baby dad and me are not togeather he lied about everythink even his name not 2 shore i know where he was working and the name known by them could you trace him through his old work
Roerow - 8-Dec-17 @ 12:02 AM
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