How to use the Child Maintenance Service as a single parent

Frolo Financials

Sorting out child maintenance can feel like another job on an already very long list. You might be newly separated and unsure where to start, managing an arrangement that has become unreliable, or wondering whether you can claim at all when your child’s other parent won’t communicate with you. Whatever your circumstances, understanding the process can make it easier to take the next step.

Child maintenance is financial support towards your child’s everyday living costs. Both parents are responsible for supporting their children, including when one parent does not see them. This guide takes you through making a claim, checking the calculation and dealing with payments that don’t arrive.

Information checked in October 2026. This guide focuses on the Child Maintenance Service in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own service: use the Northern Ireland child maintenance information for local application details. Court orders and international cases can require individual advice.

Step 1: Can I claim child maintenance?

You can usually arrange child maintenance for a child under 16, or under 20 if they remain in approved education or training. If you have your child’s main day-to-day care, you can apply to receive maintenance from their other parent through the Child Maintenance Service, usually called the CMS. You do not have to have been married, lived together or had a long-term relationship.

A grandparent with main day-to-day care or a child’s guardian can also apply. There are residence requirements and some exceptions, so check the CMS eligibility guidance if your family’s situation is more complicated. In Scotland, children aged 12 or over can apply themselves.

Can I claim child maintenance if I work or earn more than my ex?

Having a job does not stop you applying. The standard CMS calculation focuses on the paying parent’s income and circumstances rather than comparing both parents’ salaries. You do not need to prove you are struggling financially before asking the service to assess maintenance. The government’s explanation of how maintenance is calculated sets out the factors it uses.

Can I claim child maintenance if my ex never sees our child?

Yes. Financial support and arrangements for spending time with your child are separate matters. A parent’s responsibility to contribute does not disappear because they have no contact. Equally, payment disputes should be dealt with separately from decisions about child arrangements. The government’s child maintenance overview explains this distinction.

Step 2: Do I need the Child Maintenance Service or can we arrange payments ourselves?

If you can communicate safely and agree on reliable support, you can make a private arrangement, sometimes called a family-based arrangement. This might involve regular payments, contributions to particular costs, or a combination. Write down the amount, payment date, what each payment covers and when you will review it, so there is less room for confusion later.

A private child maintenance arrangement offers flexibility, but an ordinary informal agreement does not give you the same enforcement route as a CMS assessment. If payments become unreliable or you cannot agree, you can apply to the CMS. You do not have to keep negotiating indefinitely, and you should not put yourself at risk to secure an agreement.

Do I have to speak to my ex before claiming child maintenance?

You can use the CMS without negotiating directly with your child’s other parent. Its role includes working out maintenance and, where appropriate, collecting it. If communication involves threats, intimidation or financial control, explain that when you apply. The official application guidance explains how the service handles personal information.

Can I use the CMS if I already have a court order?

An existing court-approved consent order for maintenance that is less than a year old normally prevents you using the CMS. Older orders can also need careful consideration before making changes. Check the eligibility rules and get advice about your particular order before assuming a CMS application will replace everything it covers.

Step 3: What information do I need to make a child maintenance claim?

It helps to gather your details before starting, particularly if finding paperwork means rummaging through old emails or messages. You will generally need:

Your National Insurance number and bank details.
Your child’s full name and date of birth.
The full names of both parents.
Information about how often your child stays overnight with their other parent.
Whatever identifying information you have about the other parent, including their address if known.
Any relevant court orders or existing maintenance information.

Citizens Advice explains the information needed for an application. Give accurate information and say when something is unknown. You do not need to turn an estimate into a fact to complete the process.

Can I make a child maintenance claim if I don’t know where my ex lives?

Yes. Not knowing their current address does not automatically stop you applying. The CMS can try to trace the paying parent using information held by employers and other organisations. Give it whatever you know, such as a previous address, date of birth or employment details, and explain what you cannot provide.

You do not need to locate your ex yourself before asking for help. Respond to requests for further information, even if your answer is that you do not know. Tracing can affect how quickly the application progresses, and finding someone is not guaranteed. The CMS application guidance explains its information-gathering powers.

Can I claim child maintenance if I don’t know how much my ex earns?

Yes. You do not need access to their payslips or tax return to apply. The CMS normally obtains income information from HM Revenue and Customs, rather than relying on you to establish their earnings. If you believe the information used later is incomplete, you can raise that with the service.

Step 4: How do I apply for child maintenance online?

Start with the government’s Get help arranging child maintenance service. This explains the options and provides a route to a CMS application. If you want the CMS to arrange maintenance, choose that option and keep the reference number you are given.

Follow the application instructions and keep copies of confirmations or messages. If you cannot use the online service, you can contact the CMS by telephone. For England, Wales and Scotland, the main number is 0800 171 2345; check the contact page for opening hours and accessibility options.

How much does it cost to apply for child maintenance?

There is no CMS application fee. The former £20 fee was removed in February 2024, so advice telling you to pay it is out of date. However, collection fees can still apply, depending on how payments are managed. The House of Commons Library’s explanation of maintenance fees covers the distinction.

Step 5: How much child maintenance will I get?

The CMS uses a formula rather than setting an amount based on a list of everything you spend on your child. It considers the paying parent’s gross income, adjustments such as pension contributions, other children they support and shared care. Gross income means income before tax and National Insurance.

You can use the government’s child maintenance calculator for an estimate if you know enough about the other parent’s circumstances. It does not create a claim or guarantee the amount you will receive. If you do not know their income, move ahead with the application rather than relying on a guess.

Can I claim child maintenance if we share custody?

Shared care can reduce maintenance, but the phrase “shared custody” does not settle the calculation by itself. Overnight stays matter: reductions can apply from 52 nights a year, depending on the maintenance rate. Keep a clear record of the arrangement and tell the CMS if you disagree about it.

Where parents genuinely share day-to-day care equally, no maintenance may be payable through the CMS. Equal numbers of overnight stays and equal day-to-day responsibility are not always the same thing, so ask for an explanation of how your circumstances have been assessed. See the CMS calculation guidance and Resolution’s child maintenance FAQs.

Can I claim child maintenance if my ex is unemployed or on benefits?

You can ask the CMS to assess the situation, but the amount may be low or zero. Certain benefit claims or low incomes can lead to a flat rate of £7 a week; other circumstances can produce a nil assessment. Shared care and other rules may affect the result, so unemployment does not tell you the outcome on its own. Check the official maintenance rates.

Can I claim child maintenance if my ex is self-employed or hiding income?

Self-employment does not remove a parent’s responsibility to support their child. If you believe relevant income is missing from the assessment, explain why and ask about a variation. This is a request to consider specified income, assets or expenses outside the standard calculation.

Possible grounds include certain rental income, dividends, investment income, qualifying assets or income deliberately diverted elsewhere. Thresholds and conditions apply: a variation is not simply a request for a higher amount because the assessment feels unfair. Give specific information you already hold safely and lawfully, and ask what the CMS needs to investigate. The official variation guidance explains the grounds.

Step 6: What is the difference between Direct Pay and Collect and Pay?

Once maintenance has been assessed, payments can be managed through Direct Pay or Collect and Pay. Both parents can state a preference, but the CMS decides the payment method under its rules.

With Direct Pay, the CMS sets the maintenance amount and the paying parent transfers it to you. There are no collection fees. This is different from an entirely private arrangement because there is a CMS assessment behind the payments.

With Collect and Pay, the CMS collects and passes on maintenance. Current collection fees add 20% to the paying parent’s liability and deduct 4% from the receiving parent’s maintenance. For example, on £100 maintenance, the paying parent pays £120 and you receive £96. See the current payment and fee guidance.

Can I claim child maintenance without my ex finding out where I live?

The CMS does not share your address with the other parent. Tell it immediately about safety concerns, including if you have changed your name and disclosure could put you at risk. Ask how correspondence and payment arrangements will protect your information.

Direct Pay does not have to mean communicating with your ex. Bank details can be shared through your CMS account, and you can ask your bank about a non-geographic sort code if location privacy is important. Collect and Pay also avoids direct contact over payments. Discuss the safest appropriate arrangement with the CMS; the payment guidance explains these options.

Step 7: How long does a child maintenance claim take?

The government says the first payment is usually made within 12 weeks of applying. This is an indication, not a promise: tracing the other parent or resolving disputed information can cause delays. Keep your reference number handy and follow up if you have not received an expected update.

Check your decision and payment schedule carefully when they arrive. Note the amount, due dates and the date maintenance liability starts. If anything is unclear, ask for an explanation before relying on a particular payment in your household budget. The CMS payment guidance explains the payment plan.

Can child maintenance be backdated to when we separated?

A new CMS claim will not normally recover maintenance for the whole period since separation. Liability generally starts when the CMS first contacts the paying parent about the application. Ask it to confirm the effective date for your case; official guidance on early maintenance payments explains the usual starting point.

This is different from recovering arrears, meaning maintenance already due under an existing assessment. If you already have a CMS case or court order, seek advice about the money owed before closing or changing anything. Do not assume a new application can collect every unpaid amount from an earlier informal arrangement.

Step 8: What happens if my ex doesn’t make their maintenance payments on time?

A late payment can mean a grocery bill, childcare payment or direct debit suddenly becomes a problem. What you do next depends on the arrangement you have. Keep bank statements and a simple record of the amount due, due date, amount received and date received, so you can clearly explain any shortfall.

What should I do about missed payments under a private arrangement?

If it is safe, raise the missed payment and ask when it will arrive. If the arrangement is no longer reliable, consider applying to the CMS. An informal agreement does not become enforceable through the CMS just because you show it your records. Tell the service about the previous arrangement, and seek separate advice if you have a court order or legally binding agreement.

What should I do about missed payments on Direct Pay?

Report missed or incomplete payments through your CMS account and ask to move to Collect and Pay. You may need bank statements as evidence. The CMS cannot take enforcement action while the case remains on Direct Pay. Explain any pattern of late payments and keep a copy of what you report.

What should I do about missed payments on Collect and Pay?

The CMS should act when payments are not made in full and on time; you do not have to report each missed payment for it to do so. However, you can contact it to check the position, clarify discrepancies or ask about next steps. It may not be able to disclose every action it is taking.

Possible enforcement measures include deductions from earnings, pensions or benefits, taking money from bank accounts and further legal action. Recovery can take time. Read the government’s guidance on unpaid child maintenance for the available measures.

Step 9: What if the child maintenance calculation is wrong?

Check the decision promptly. If you disagree with it, ask for a mandatory reconsideration and explain what is wrong, with supporting evidence where available. The CMS complaints and appeals page specifies 30 days from the date on the decision letter, so act quickly and follow the instructions in your letter.

If you remain unhappy after reconsideration, you can appeal to an independent tribunal, normally within one month of receiving the reconsideration decision. A complaint about poor service is a separate process and does not replace challenging the calculation. The CMS complaints and appeals guidance explains both routes. If a deadline has passed, get advice straight away rather than assuming you have no options.

Step 10: Do I need to update my child maintenance claim when things change?

Yes. Report relevant changes promptly, including changes to your child’s main carer or overnight arrangements, and changes to your contact or bank details. The CMS reviews maintenance annually, but you should not wait for that review to report something that could affect the case.

If the other parent says their income has dropped and they will be paying less, ask the CMS to check the position rather than treating their message as a revised assessment. Use the change-of-circumstances guidance to see what needs reporting.