Is child maintenance based on household income?

The Child Support Agency (CSA) works out child maintenance payments based on your income alone. This includes earnings, money from an occupational or personal pension and tax credits. This is because it is classed as a household income.

What is the average weekly maintenance payment for a child?

On the basic rate, if you’re paying for: one child, you’ll pay 12% of your gross weekly income. two children, you’ll pay 16% of your gross weekly income. three or more children, you’ll pay 19% of your gross weekly income.

What is my gross weekly income?

For hourly employees, gross wages can be calculated by multiplying the number of hours worked by the employee’s hourly wage. For example, an employee that works part-time at 25 hours per week and receives a wage of $12 per hour would have a gross weekly pay of $300 (25×12=300).

The CMS calculates child maintenance according to what the law says a parent should pay. It uses the paying parent’s gross income to work out the payment. This can include wages, income from a pension and other taxable income.

How much income do you need for child support?

This means, for example, that as at 1 January 2021, a child would generally need to earn or receive a gross income of at least $345.10 per week for the earnings to be considered so significant as to be capable of affecting the assessment.

How often do you have to pay child support?

Following all 6 steps gives us a total weekly amount of child maintenance. This decision lasts until the date of the Annual Review. Even though child maintenance may be paid monthly, fortnightly or weekly, child support law says we have to work it out as a weekly amount.

How does the income of the child affect child support?

This will depend upon the income of the child, the financial circumstances of the parents, the amount of child support payable under the assessment and the circumstances of the case.

How much do I have to pay for Child Maintenance?

The most we can take into account is £3,000. If the paying parent’s gross weekly income is more than this, the receiving parent can apply to the court for extra child maintenance. You can find more information on Manage your Child Maintenance Service case.