How to Make a Claim for Child Support

Author: Anna Martin

Claiming Child Support, from a non resident parent, is a simple process that requires a relatively small amount of a parent with care’s time. This periodic payment will help towards the costs of a child’s day-to-day living expenses, and can be used to pay for school fees, clothing, shelter, food and extracurricular activities.

What Do To

The Department for Work and Pensions provides an easy-to-use website, where parents can download claim forms and access additional resources. Child Support claim forms are available in pdf format and can be printed off, signed and posted to the relevant address.

In some cases, the option to fill in details and submit forms online is also available. Before submitting information online however, parents must be registered with the centralised registration service, the Government Gateway. This service allows users to access other government services on the Internet. Once registration is complete individuals can use a single user ID to send and receive application forms.

Parents can also directly contact the Child Support Agency (CSA), and provide the required information to staff on the telephone, by using a call back facility.

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How Long Does It Take?

From the minute an application form is submitted to the CSA’s formal acknowledgement takes around 12 weeks. The initial four weeks is taken up by gathering and checking information provided by the non resident parent. If a trace needs to be put on the parent the whole process will take considerably longer. Ensuring relevant details and up-to-date information is provided at the start of the application process will enable CSA staff to complete the necessary administrative tasks more quickly.

The Child Support Agency aims to give parents with care an accurate decision as soon as possible, but sometimes this could take in the region of 26 weeks.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

How Soon Is Payment Arranged?

Once initial payment arrangements have been made, the CSA aims to collect and distribute the first child maintenance payment, to the parent with care, within 6 weeks. Once the CSA receives maintenance payment from the non resident parent it takes a week to process and to distribute the amount.

If a Child Support payment has to be deducted from a non resident parent’s wages, via their employer, due to the parent’s failure to comply with obligations, the payment may take around 4 months to set up and distribute.

What To Do If A Parent Lives Abroad

If a parent no longer lives in the UK the Child Support Agency is only able to help collect payments if a claim for maintenance meets with the exceptions the CSA cover. If a non resident parent is working abroad in the service of the Crown, is a member of the Armed Forces, works abroad for a UK based company or is working abroad on secondment, to a recognised body like the NHS, the CSA will be able to assist parents with care with their maintenance claims.

If the non-resident parent lives abroad, but does not meet the above requirements, parents with care can apply for child maintenance through the UK courts.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Child Support Rights Checker lets you answer a few questions about your situation and get a clear summary of your child maintenance rights and options. Try it now →

Showing 20 of 104 questions

Ask Child Support Laws a Question

ChrisyBoy 18/10/2019 at 10:28 am

I receive a War Pension and have to pay £7 per week maintenance reduced to Nil due to shared care.
A variance was put in which is fine but the CMS are adding the £7 per week to the other income before calculating shared care.
There is nothing in the legislation I can see that allows them to do this.
Any thoughts? It means I am now paying an extra £6 per week I believe this is wrong. All documents I have seen state the income should be treated separately for shared care then added.

Haughton 10/05/2019 at 2:52 pm

Hi, I’m now 35 years old, and have never had child maintenance from my dad, even though he was supposed too pay, can I take this further?
Thank you

Bb 09/05/2019 at 4:42 pm

Hi I have 2 children aged 7 and 11 there dad has never paid a penny towards there up bringing . I've asked many times for help towards food uniforms school pack lunches etc but he shows no interest. He can become very aggressive when the conversation comes up. He only sees them when its suits him which has been once in the last 5months. I use to get child tax credit but that has been stopped so all I receive is child benefit for 2 children. Nothing else and his aware of this I'm at wits end please help

Ieva 28/03/2019 at 1:54 pm

Hello. My husband decided to be single. We have 2 year old boy together and also 8 year old ftom my previous relationship.does my husband must pay maintenance for both kids?

Vicky 28/02/2019 at 9:53 pm

Just after some advice ive just found out the address of my sons father who has not paid a penny for my son in almost 13 yrs my son turns 18 in a couple of weeks would i be able to start a child maintanence claim my son is also in ft edgucation and his father is in in a very high paid job and does it get back dated at all ty i have been in reciept of child tax credit for him i would like to think his father owes them alot for paying for his son all these years ty

ChildSupportLaws Editor 02/08/2018 at 10:36 am

You would be able to apply for child maintenance if your child's father is earning and income. In this case, you may wish to speak to Child Maintenance Options directly, CMS should be able to put a trace on your child's father.

Lorraine 01/08/2018 at 4:15 pm

Not sure if i can get help here. I have an 8 year old son whoms father has refused any aknowlegment of him. He has never seen him due to his father generally not wanting to no him. I always said i would never take him for any money now 8 years on a single parent im finding it hard. Without putting to much detail online i was 15 when i had my son and his father being alot older then me as ashamed as i am to admit it i only no his full name and birthday but not the year he was born. Would it be possible to track him down with only little information. Any advice would be hugely appreciated many thanks

K1m 08/06/2018 at 5:14 pm

Hi, what information do you need to make a claim? I have two children with my ex, he has access once a fortnight for two nights, he is supposed to pay a set amount we both agreed on separation but only pays when he feels like it and never on time? Can they refuse to pay maintenance? I've asked numerous times for him to set up standing orders so I don't have to chase each month

ChildSupportLaws Editor 06/04/2018 at 10:29 am

I presume when you say 'sperm donor' you mean your ex and not an actual sperm donor who wouldn't be held responsible for paying child maintenance. You don't say why your son's father hasn't paid (which would help to answer the question) as some reasons may be legitimate i.e he has not earned an income. Child access and child maintenance are two separate issues and not connected. Children are not viewed as bribes for money, meaning the other parent shouldn't be stopped from building up a relationship with their child on the basis of whether they can pay child maintenance or not. CMS/CSA would have attempted to get child maintenance on your behalf if your son's father deliberately refused to pay. This is what they were set up to do.

Rachie 05/04/2018 at 4:07 am

The sperm donor to my son has not paid a penny for him he's now 23 I tried b4 to have him pay for his responsibilities but his parents stuck up for him and said he didn't live there he still hasn't paid a penny but still sees our son it pisses me off he's got away without paying a penny but still thinks he has the rights to be my sons father

Thelma 10/03/2018 at 1:54 am

Hi. My partner has a 5 year old boy. He has previously had shared custody with the mother as the main parent as he works long unsociable hours. However recent events have meant that he will now be getting full custody and the child moving in with us. He will have to give up work. We rent a small 1 bedroom place. Our rent is high and I won’t be able ro afford it myself. Will the council help pay our rent/contribute money even though I work full time? Will they help us get another place to live? Is it better financially if we live separately regarding financial support?

ChildSupportLaws Editor 06/03/2018 at 1:45 pm

You may have the equivalent of REMO in NZ, which is the Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Order (REMO) Unit. It helps to register and enforce child maintenance orders internationally

Taz 06/03/2018 at 10:14 am

Hi, I have an 11 year old son. His father and I seperated when my son was 5 years old. My ex has never paid any child support and has purposely worked in cash in hand roles to avoid having to pay. I have never claimed through the CSA. I moved to NZ with my son 2 years ago and have heard that my ex is in proper employment now, can I claim from NZ? And if so, how?

ChildSupportLaws Editor 13/02/2018 at 3:09 pm

If your father was unemployed when you were younger, then he would not have been eligible to pay child maintenance, so would not have been expected to make a contribution. Also, child maintenance is based upon taxable earnings (an inheritance doesn't class as earnings). Only a parent can claim child maintenance from another parent, a child cannot claim. So, you would not be able to claim anything either via CMS or through the courts. With regards to your father gaining an inheritance, it is up to him what he chooses to do with this money.

ZD91 13/02/2018 at 9:50 am

Hi, I am 27 years old and my dad never paid maintenance for me throughout my childhood, he was unemployed through some of those years when I was younger. He is now a self-employed taxi driver and has been since 2005/2006 and now bringing up another child with another woman who is not my mum. He has recently received an inheritance that he has pumped into this child, he did give me a small amount as this was my nan too but nothing to what he gave other members of family. Is there a way I can now make him pay his historical maintenance from my childhood, I don't care if a percentage has to be taken or even if I do not receive it, I just find it unsettling that he has never had to make a contribution. If there is a way of fighting for this could you also advise the cheapest way possible, I am on minimum wage for my age and surviving by myself.
If you could help it would be really appreciated.

ChildSupportLaws Editor 21/12/2017 at 1:46 pm

The fact you are married means that everything goes into the joint marital pot. It means an inheritance is not excluded from the assets to be divided. The considerations when deciding whether an inheritance is to be divided are; how long the marriage has lasted (the longer the marriage the more the inheritance will figure when dividing assets), the size of the inheritance, when it was received, how the money has been used. Also considered is the financial needs of each person and whether there are children at the time of the divorce, and their needs, which should be provided for. Likewise, usually the person who is the primary carer of the children is often allowed to remain in the family home (if the matter goes to court). It's worth seeking legal advice, especially if your husband is not willing to share details of how much is in the family pot.

Cfrz 21/12/2017 at 2:58 am

Hi there. My situation is a little unusual maybe. My husband got quite a large sum of money as inheritance and decided (with my support) to leave his job and start his own project.

Previous to this he was earning approx £1450pcm. After my maternity leave I got a part time job and my income was approx £700pcm. I attended to all the household upkeep and childcare and bought about 85% of the groceries. He had the childcare voucher coming off his wage pre tax.

Now he is not earning but is paying £500 per month from the inheritance into our joint account toward rent and bills.

I now work almost full time and earn around £1300 per month. I still buy all the groceries and the childcare voucher now comes off my wage.

I manage the household and do all the chores.

Now we are separating after over a year of this arrangement.

I have no idea how much money he has. I know he has the inheritance and some ISA’s.

I have no money.

I can not afford to support myself and my son in our current home on my own. I don’t mind moving and am prepared to live within my means, but am I entitled to any support from my husband? I don’t know how to prove he has got money despite not earning.

It’s a mess and I’m worried. I just want to be able to look after my son and keep a roof over our heads.

ChildSupportLaws Editor 15/12/2017 at 12:22 pm

You can speak to CMS directly via whichThey will advise you regarding your best options.

Becky 14/12/2017 at 5:50 pm

Hi there I need some advice. My daughter is 10 and goes to her dads for 'three' nights a week so in the last 5 years I have claimed no child support. I have always known that within his time with her she goes to his mums one night every other week and I have since found out that she has been going to his girlfriends parents the weeks in between so he is now only having her two nights a week. I am wondering if I can now claim child support as I have a lot of outgoings and also pay for her violin 72pound a month with no support. I believe if challenged he will probably deny that he is not having her the full agreed on three nights a week and don't know how I could prove this to csa. Thank you

ChildSupportLaws Editor 17/11/2017 at 12:27 pm

If you feel your son's father has a lifestyle which is not based upon his earnings, and 'not' supplemented by his new partner (what she earns or contributes is of no concern to CMS), then you may have a case to take it to court. A court would look at his finances in depth. This can be helpful if you can prove he is earning more, but could costly to you in court costs if he can justify his small wage in front of a judge. Therefore, you would have to seek legal advice regarding this. Otherwise, unfortunately there is little recourse, CMS go on his HMRC-registered figures, and that's all it needs to know.

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