Child maintenance is about meeting a child’s living costs when parents live apart. Dads may be paying, receiving or trying to understand a new arrangement. Clear records and the right service matter more than promises that one payment method will prevent every disagreement.
The CMS details below cover England, Scotland and Wales. For Northern Ireland, use the Northern Ireland Child Maintenance Service. This is general guidance, not advice on an individual case.
Keep maintenance and contact separate
Financial support and arrangements for seeing your child are separate matters. GOV.UK explains that both parents remain responsible for their child’s costs, including when they do not see them. Do not use money or contact as a bargaining tool. Get qualified help with disputed arrangements or safety concerns.
Understand the three payment arrangements
- Private arrangement: parents agree between themselves, if both agree. Record the amount, payment dates and what is covered.
- CMS Direct Pay: CMS calculates the amount, but payments go directly between parents. There are no collection fees for Direct Pay.
- CMS Collect and Pay: CMS collects and passes on payments. Current collection fees add 20% for the paying parent and deduct 4% from the receiving parent.
These are different arrangements, not interchangeable names for a Direct Debit. A regular transfer you arrange through your bank is usually a standing order; a Direct Debit lets an authorised organisation collect payments. Follow the payment instructions for your actual arrangement. Check the official CMS payment guidance.
What collection fees mean in practice
As an illustration, if the maintenance amount is £100 under Collect and Pay, the paying parent pays £120 and the receiving parent receives £96. That example demonstrates the fees, not an estimate of your assessment. Paying the other parent directly does not avoid collection fees when your case is on Collect and Pay.
Use the calculator as an estimate
The official child maintenance calculator gives an estimate to help you understand or discuss payments. CMS may calculate a different amount. Have relevant income, benefit and overnight-care information ready, and do not treat a screenshot of an estimate as a binding decision.
Keep useful records
- Keep the current agreement or CMS payment plan somewhere you can find it.
- Use a clear payment reference and retain bank records.
- Keep messages factual and focused on the child’s costs.
- Ask CMS how extra payments or changed circumstances should be reported rather than making assumptions.
For example, buying uniform is not automatically a replacement for a scheduled maintenance payment. Check before changing what you pay. If a payment is missing under a CMS case, use the service’s reporting route.
If the amount or circumstances change
Contact CMS if you think the assessment is wrong or your circumstances have changed. Ask about the appropriate review or challenge process and its deadlines. Do not silently reduce a payment because your own calculation differs. If affordability is the problem, our debt and money-worries guide links to free advice.
If direct contact is unsafe
Tell CMS about safety concerns and ask about protecting personal information. Do not assume you must negotiate privately with someone who is abusive. Read domestic abuse support for men and Dad Resources for specialist support.
Updated 10 September 2026. Sources used for the guidance are linked above.
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