What is Child Maintenance?

Child maintenance is regular reliable financial support for children and young peoples everyday living costs in separated families.

If parents are separated both parents are financially responsible for their children, even if they do not have parental rights. For England, visit guidance on Parental rights and responsibilities: What parental responsibility is (opens in new tab) and for Scotland visit Parental responsibilities and rights (opens in new tab).

Child maintenance arrangements can be made privately between parents or through the government Child Maintenance Service (CMS).

  • A child maintenance arrangement should be in place until your child leaves full time (12hr +) non advanced higher education or turns 20yrs old, whichever happens first.

    Visit Child Maintenance Service: When child maintenance stops - GOV.UK (Opens in new tab) for further information

  • The CMS use the term receiving parent to describe the parent who has ‘main day to day care’ of the child or young person .

    This can also include non biological parents such as Kinship Carers.

    It generally aligns with the person who receives the child benefit for the child or young person.

  • The CMS use the term paying parent for the parent that the child or young person that does not have main ‘day to day care’ .

  • The CMS use the number of overnight stays with the paying parent to calculate the amount that should be paid. Visit Calculations for more information.

    A small amount of child maintenance may still be payable where there is equal shared care. Visit Calculate your child maintenance - GOV.UK ( opens in new tab) for more information on calculations.

Some of the language and terms used to describe child maintenance can be confusing so we’ve created a terminology page where we do our best to explain terms.