The Child Maintenance Service works out what a paying parent owes from their gross weekly income before tax, using HMRC’s figure for the latest tax year. On income between £200 and £800 a week the rate is 12% for one child, 16% for two and 19% for three or more; income between £800 and £3,000 is charged at 9%, 12% and 15% on top. A parent earning £600 a week pays £72 for one child or £96 for two. The amount falls where the children stay overnight regularly, and where the paying parent has other children living with them. Income above £3,000 a week is ignored, and the courts handle anything beyond that.
The five rates
| Gross weekly income | Rate | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Under £7 | Nil | Nothing is payable |
| £7 to £100, or on certain benefits | Flat | £7 a week in total |
| £100.01 to £200 | Reduced | £7 on the first £100, then 17%, 25% or 31% of the rest for one, two or three or more children |
| £200.01 to £800 | Basic | 12%, 16% or 19% of the whole income |
| £800.01 to £3,000 | Basic plus | Basic rate on the first £800, then 9%, 12% or 15% of the rest |
Gross income means earnings and pension income before tax and National Insurance but after pension contributions, taken from the paying parent’s most recent tax return or PAYE record. Either parent can ask for a fresh figure if current income differs from the historic one by 25% or more. Students, prisoners and children under 16 fall into the nil rate; parents receiving Universal Credit with no earnings, Jobseeker’s Allowance and similar benefits pay the flat rate.
What the formula produces
| Gross weekly income | Children | Circumstances | Weekly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £90 | 1 | none | £7.00 | £30.33 |
| £150 | 1 | none | £15.50 | £67.17 |
| £600 | 1 | none | £72.00 | £312.00 |
| £600 | 2 | none | £96.00 | £416.00 |
| £600 | 2 | children stay 104 to 155 nights a year | £68.57 | £297.14 |
| £800 | 1 | child stays 52 to 103 nights a year | £82.29 | £356.57 |
| £1,200 | 3 | one other child in the payer’s household | £192.20 | £832.87 |
| £3,500 | 2 | income capped at £3,000 | £392.00 | £1,698.67 |
The £1,200 case shows the two upper adjustments together: income is first reduced by 11% for the other child, to £1,068, then charged at 19% on the first £800 and 15% on the £268 above it. The child maintenance calculator applies the bands, other-children reduction and shared care for any income and family shape, and shows the annual figure.
Shared care
Where the children stay overnight with the paying parent, the weekly amount for each child is reduced according to the number of nights a year.
| Nights a year with the paying parent | Reduction |
|---|---|
| 52 to 103 | one seventh |
| 104 to 155 | two sevenths |
| 156 to 174 | three sevenths |
| 175 or more | one half, less a further £7 a week per child |
The reduction is based on the expected pattern of care over the next twelve months, usually set out in a court order or an agreement between the parents; where the parents disagree and there is no evidence, the service assumes one night a week. Below 52 nights there is no reduction. Where care is split exactly equally, with both parents providing day-to-day care, no maintenance is payable through the service at all.
Other children and variations
A paying parent who lives with other children, their own or a partner’s for whom they receive Child Benefit, has their gross income reduced before the rate is applied: by 11% for one other child, 14% for two and 16% for three or more. Either parent can also apply for a variation. The receiving parent can ask for unearned income such as rent or dividends above £2,500 a year, or a lifestyle inconsistent with declared income, to be taken into account; the paying parent can ask for the cost of contact travel or of supporting a child with a disability to be deducted. Maintenance received is ignored entirely when Universal Credit and other benefits are worked out, so it never reduces the receiving parent’s own benefits; our Universal Credit rates guide covers what does count.
Fees and payment routes
Applying is free. Under Direct Pay the service calculates the amount and the parents arrange payment between themselves at no cost. Under Collect and Pay the service takes the money and passes it on, adding 20% to what the paying parent pays and deducting 4% from what the receiving parent receives, so a £100 a week assessment costs the payer £120 and delivers £96. Collect and Pay is used where the paying parent is unlikely to pay voluntarily, and the service can deduct directly from earnings or bank accounts and remove driving licences and passports for persistent non-payment. Parents who agree between themselves need not involve the service at all, and many use its formula as the benchmark for a family-based arrangement.
Annual reviews
Each assessment is reviewed every year against the paying parent’s latest HMRC income, so the amount moves with pay. Changes of more than 25% in current income, a change in the number of children or in the care pattern can be reported at any time and take effect from the date reported. The Child Benefit guide explains which parent should hold the Child Benefit claim, since that decides who counts as the receiving parent and which household’s other children reduce the payer’s income.
Common questions
How is child maintenance calculated? As a percentage of the paying parent’s gross weekly income: 12%, 16% or 19% for one, two or three or more children on income between £200 and £800, and 9%, 12% or 15% on income from £800 to £3,000, with lower rates below £200.
How much is child maintenance for one child? 12% of gross weekly income between £200 and £800. On £500 a week that is £60; on £1,000 a week it is £96 plus £18 on the amount above £800, £114 in total.
Does overnight care reduce the amount? Yes. From 52 nights a year the amount for that child falls by a seventh, rising to two sevenths at 104 nights, three sevenths at 156 and a half plus £7 at 175 or more.
Is there a cap? Gross income above £3,000 a week, £156,000 a year, is ignored. A receiving parent can apply to court for additional maintenance above that level.
Does child maintenance affect Universal Credit? No. Maintenance received is disregarded in full, and paying it does not reduce the paying parent’s own Universal Credit.
What does the Child Maintenance Service charge? Nothing to apply or for Direct Pay. Collect and Pay adds 20% to the paying parent’s amount and deducts 4% from the receiving parent’s.
Information, not legal advice. Rates and bands are those set out in the Child Support Act 1991 and the Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 2012 and applied by the Child Maintenance Service; worked figures are from the site’s calculator. Individual assessments depend on HMRC income data and reported care arrangements, so use the official calculator or take advice before acting on them.