How Much Child Maintenance Will I Get? A Mum's Guide
How much child maintenance you get depends mostly on the other parent’s gross income, how many children they pay for, and how many nights a year your child stays with them. The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) puts the paying parent’s income into one of five rates. That runs from nothing at very low incomes, to a flat £7 (~$9) a week if they earn £7 to £100 (~$135) a week or are on benefits, up to a formula-based amount on incomes from £200 to £3,000 (~$265 to ~$4,000) a week. Shared care of 52 nights a year or more brings the figure down. The quickest estimate is the government’s own child maintenance calculator.
Most guides are written for the parent who pays. This one is for the parent who receives, and who has to budget around it.
All figures below are from the gov.uk pages on how child maintenance is worked out and the Child Maintenance Service, which I read on 11 October 2026. If you live in Northern Ireland, use nidirect’s child maintenance pages instead.
How the CMS works out the amount
Gov.uk describes six steps:
- Income. The CMS gets the paying parent’s yearly gross income from HMRC and checks whether they get benefits.
- Things that change the income figure, such as pension payments or other children they support.
- Which rate applies, based on their gross weekly income.
- Other children the paying parent pays for or lives with.
- The weekly amount, from the first four steps.
- Shared care, which can reduce it.
You don’t need to know their payslip. The CMS gets income figures from HMRC, which is a big relief if you don’t speak to your ex or don’t want to.
The five rates
| Paying parent’s gross weekly income | Rate | Weekly amount |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown or not provided | Default | £38 (~$51) for 1 child, £51 (~$68) for 2, £64 (~$85) for 3 or more |
| Below £7 | Nil | £0 |
| £7 to £100, or on benefits | Flat | £7 |
| £100.01 to £199.99 | Reduced | Worked out with a formula |
| £200 to £3,000 | Basic | Worked out with a formula |
If the paying parent earns more than £3,000 a week, gov.uk says the receiving parent can apply to the courts for extra maintenance.
The default rate is worth knowing. If the other parent won’t give information, the CMS can still set an amount rather than leaving you with nothing.
How shared care reduces it
Shared care means nights your child stays overnight with the paying parent. On the reduced and basic rates, the reduction for each child is:
| Agreed overnight stays a year | Reduction |
|---|---|
| 52 to 103 nights | 14.29% |
| 104 to 155 nights | 28.57% |
| 156 to 174 nights | 42.86% |
| 175 nights or more | 50%, plus an extra £7 a week |
Payments can’t go below £7 a week. If you agree to at least 52 nights but can’t agree on the exact number, the CMS assumes 52.
On the flat rate, it’s different: if the paying parent gets benefits and your child stays at least 52 nights a year, they don’t pay at all for that child.
Budget for the arrangement that actually happens. If every other weekend has turned into once a month, that’s a change in shared care, and either parent can report it. Gov.uk says changes to how often your child stays overnight should be reported as soon as they happen.
Asking for other income to be counted
If the paying parent has income that doesn’t show on their payslip, you can ask for a “variation”. Both parents can ask for these to be taken into account:
- rental income over £2,500 (~$3,330) a year
- interest and dividends over £2,500 a year
- assets such as shares or money worth more than £31,250 (~$41,600)
- income they may be diverting so it isn’t counted, for example taking a company car instead of a higher salary
Gov.uk says a variation can take up to 3 months to change the payment amount.
Direct Pay or Collect and Pay: the fees
Once the CMS has worked out the amount, there are two ways to get paid:
- Direct Pay. The paying parent pays you directly. Nobody pays collection fees. Keep a record of every payment, because if one is missed you may need a bank statement.
- Collect and Pay. The CMS collects the money and passes it on. There’s a fee each time: 20% added on for the paying parent, and 4% taken off for the receiving parent.
So on Collect and Pay, £50 (~$67) a week reaches you as £48 (~$64). That’s worth paying if payments are unreliable, because it means the CMS chases them, not you.
If you don’t want the other parent to know where you live, gov.uk suggests asking your bank for an account with a “non-geographic” sort code. Tell the CMS if it isn’t safe for the other parent to know your location.
What happens when payments stop
This depends on which route you’re on.
- On Direct Pay, gov.uk says the CMS cannot take action while you’re on Direct Pay. Report the missed payment and ask to move to Collect and Pay through your online account.
- On Collect and Pay, you don’t have to do anything. The CMS acts if a payment isn’t made in full and on time. It can take money from the paying parent’s pay, pension, benefits or bank account, or get a court order (a liability order).
The first payment usually arrives within 12 weeks of applying, so don’t build your budget on it until it’s actually landing.
Will it affect my benefits?
No. Gov.uk says child maintenance “will not affect any benefits that you and your children get, including Universal Credit”, and you don’t pay tax on it. That makes it one of the few incomes on a single-parent budget that’s yours in full. My guide to benefits for single parents in the UK covers the rest of what you can claim.
Building it into a one-income budget
Treat maintenance as variable income until it has arrived on time for a few months. Put your fixed bills against your own earnings and benefits first, then use maintenance for the things that can wait a week if a payment is late: clothes, school trips, the food top-up. It’s the same bills-first approach as my budgeting on one income plan.
The amount is reviewed every 12 months. If you think a decision is wrong, gov.uk says you must ask for a “mandatory reconsideration” within one month of the decision.
FAQ
How much child maintenance should I get for one child?
It depends on the paying parent’s gross income and how many nights your child stays with them. On benefits or very low earnings it’s a flat £7 a week. Above £200 a week of income it’s worked out with a formula. The gov.uk calculator gives an estimate in a few minutes.
Does child maintenance count as income for Universal Credit?
No. Gov.uk says child maintenance payments won’t affect any benefits you or your children get, including Universal Credit, and you don’t pay tax on them.
Do I pay a fee to receive child maintenance?
Not on Direct Pay. On Collect and Pay, 4% is taken off each payment you receive, and the paying parent pays 20% on top of each payment.
What if my ex won’t tell the CMS their income?
The CMS gets income figures from HMRC, and if information isn’t provided it can set a default rate of £38 a week for one child, £51 for two and £64 for three or more.
Do we have to use the CMS?
No. Gov.uk says child maintenance can be arranged privately between parents if you both agree. The CMS is there if you can’t agree or a private arrangement stops working.
