Overview of the new rules for Child Support

Maintenance is usually paid for children until they reach the age of 17 or cease full time education, whichever is later.

Child maintenance is changing

There are legal changes happening with child maintenance which are coming into effect from July 2008. They will mainly affect parents on benefits who have main day-to-day care of the child.

From July 2008, parents with main day-to-day care who start receiving benefits through Jobcentre Plus (JCP) won't have to use the Child Support Agency (CSA) for arranging child maintenance.

Until July 2008, parents on benefits who have main day-to-day care have had to arrange child maintenance through the CSA. But from July 2008 these parents will have the choice of setting up a statutory maintenance arrangement through the CSA or making a private agreement with the other parent.

From October 2008, parents on benefits who have main day-to-day care and are already using the CSA will be able to choose between continuing to use the CSA and making a private agreement.

Also from October 2008, parents with main day-to-day care will be able to keep more of their benefit money than before.

Child maintenance options

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Information on this page is current and last updated: 4/2/2012