Find clear answers to the most common questions about the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) in the UK, including child maintenance payments, Direct Pay, Collect & Pay, missed payments, enforcement, and how to challenge CMS decisions.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is a government service that calculates, manages, and enforces child maintenance payments between separated parents.
Payments are calculated using the paying parent’s gross weekly income, the number of children, and how often the child stays overnight.
CMS uses gross income information provided by HMRC, including earnings from employment and self-employment.
CMS has powers to recover unpaid maintenance, including deductions from earnings, bank accounts, or legal enforcement action.
Direct Pay is when both parents arrange and manage child maintenance payments between themselves without CMS handling the money.
Collect and Pay is a service where CMS collects payments from one parent and sends them to the other, usually when payments are not made voluntarily.
If you disagree with a decision, you can ask CMS to review it and, if needed, take the matter further through the appropriate process.
Processing times can vary, but cases are usually set up within a few weeks depending on how quickly information is provided.
In some situations, a case can be closed or arrangements changed, depending on the circumstances and agreements between parents.
Missed payments can lead to enforcement action, depending on how the case is set up and managed.
Child maintenance payments are not treated as taxable income.
CMS can be contacted online or by phone to manage your case, report issues, or request further information.