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Everything you need to know about the UK Child Maintenance Service
26 articles
Child Maintenance If You're Self-Employed: How the CMS Calculates Your Payments
Self-employed? The CMS calculates child maintenance differently for you. Here's exactly what income they use, how HMRC data is shared, and what to do if your income varies.
Child Maintenance for Limited Company Directors: Salary, Dividends and What the CMS Counts
Limited company director? The CMS counts more than just your salary. Here's exactly how dividends, retained profits and director's loans are treated - and what the receiving parent can challenge.
What DWP Told the House of Lords About the CMS - and What They Did Not Say
In March 2025, senior DWP officials gave evidence to the House of Lords Public Services Committee about the Child Maintenance Service. Here is what they said, what the numbers actually show, and where the official story does not match the experience of real parents.
CMS Liability Orders: What They Actually Are (And What the Law Really Says)
Years of research and active High Court proceedings have exposed serious questions about whether CMS liability orders are legally valid court orders at all. Here is what you need to know.
CMS Statistics December 2025: 1.1 Million Children, £773M Unpaid: What the Data Really Shows
A detailed breakdown of every figure in the Child Maintenance Service's latest official statistics release, covering compliance rates, the debt mountain, enforcement queues, and what it all means for parents.
Regulation 50 Explained: Who Pays When Care is Shared?
A plain-English guide to Regulation 50 of SI 2012/2677 - the rule that decides who is treated as the non-resident parent when both parents share significant care of a child, and the full overnight stay checklist from Regulation 46.
Child Maintenance When a Parent Lives or Works Abroad
What happens to child maintenance when one parent moves overseas - CMS jurisdiction rules, REMO explained, the full list of countries where UK maintenance orders can and cannot be enforced, and what to do when the country is not covered.
How Much the CMS Made From Collect and Pay Fees in 2025
Using the latest DWP statistics, we calculate exactly how much the Child Maintenance Service collected in fees from paying and receiving parents via its Collect and Pay service in 2025.
How Long Does Collect and Pay Take?
If you use the CMS Collect and Pay service, how long before money arrives? Here's what to expect and what to do if there are delays.
Do I Have to Pay Child Maintenance in the UK?
Understanding whether you're legally obliged to pay child maintenance, when it applies, and the limited circumstances where you might not have to.
Private Arrangement vs Using the CMS: Which Is Better?
You don't have to use the CMS to arrange child maintenance. Here's an honest comparison of going private versus using the government service.
When Does Child Maintenance Stop?
Child maintenance doesn't last forever. Find out exactly when payments end, what age is relevant, and what can extend or stop the obligation early.
Child Maintenance Advice for Fathers
Practical, honest advice for fathers navigating child maintenance - from how the calculation works to shared care, rights, and reducing payments fairly.
Does Child Maintenance Affect Benefits?
Find out how receiving or paying child maintenance can affect Universal Credit, Tax Credits, and other benefits.
Can Child Maintenance Be Backdated?
Find out whether you can claim backdated child maintenance payments and under what circumstances the CMS will consider backdating.
Is Child Maintenance Taxable Income in the UK?
Many parents wonder whether child maintenance payments count as taxable income. The short answer is no - here's the full explanation.
How to Apply for Child Maintenance Through the CMS
A step-by-step guide to applying to the Child Maintenance Service, including what information you'll need and what to expect.
How Does Shared Care Affect Child Maintenance?
If you share overnight care of your children, the CMS will reduce your maintenance payments. Here's exactly how it works.
What Happens If You Don't Pay Child Maintenance?
The CMS has serious legal powers to recover unpaid child maintenance. Here's exactly what can happen if payments are missed.
How to Reduce Child Maintenance Payments UK
Explore the legitimate ways paying parents can reduce their child maintenance payments - from income changes to shared care and variations.
Can Child Maintenance Payments Be Changed?
Your payments aren't fixed forever. Find out when and how child maintenance can be reviewed, increased, or reduced.
What Does Child Maintenance Cover (and What Doesn't It Cover)?
Child maintenance isn't meant to cover everything. Here's what it's supposed to pay for, what it doesn't include, and what you can ask for separately.
What Counts as Income for Child Maintenance?
Find out exactly what income the CMS uses when calculating child maintenance - and what they can't include.
How Is Child Maintenance Calculated by the CMS?
A full breakdown of how the CMS works out how much child maintenance should be paid, including all income bands and rates.
What Is the CSA? (Child Support Agency Explained)
The CSA no longer exists - but millions of people still search for it. Here's what it was, what replaced it, and what you need to know now.
What Is the Child Maintenance Service (CMS)?
A plain-English guide to what the CMS is, how it works, and when you need to use it.