At What Age Do Child Maintenance Payments Stop?
Q.
Can you please tell me at what age do payments actually stop for child maintenance? My daughter has turned 16 but is looking to go to 6th form.
(R.B, 20 April 2009)
A.
Child maintenance payments are put in place to make sure that both parents are paying a fair amount towards the upbringing of their child. This may be agreed privately between the parents, but more often is calculated by the Child Support Agency (CSA).
The non-resident parent will have to pay an agreed percentage of their monthly income to the resident parent who is responsible for the everyday care of the child. If there is Joint Residency or the non-resident parent looks after the child for a number of days each week, then this will reduce the payments.
Every parent has the basic responsibility to provide for their child up until the age of 16, when they are legally allowed to leave school and get a job. After this age, it depends what your child chooses to do. If they continue in full-time education, such as going into sixth form and studying for A-levels, then your maintenance payments will continue until your child finishes. This will usually be the end of the school year when they turn 18.
If they carry on to further education or university, then you are committed to Maintenance Payments until the end of the school year when they turn 19. There are certain higher education courses, such as apprenticeships, that do not count as full-time education, so it is important that you check with the CSA.
If your daughter changes her mind and decides that she wants to get a job and not continue in full-time education – which includes studying for 12 hours or more a week – then your payments would end in the September after her final school term. If they have officially come to an end, you may still want to continue supporting your child.
However, it will then be your choice about how much you pay and also in what way. You will no longer have to pay the money to your ex and may consider helping your child in other ways. Even after they have left school it is important to be supportive, both financially and emotionally, as they find their feet in the adult world.
Further Reading
For more information on child maintenance payments have a read through our articles on Child Support Payments and Working With the CSA on Support Payments.
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Comments...
Adi in Ipswich - if you read this, please do not dispair. Seek help. See your doctor if you are having break downs - they honestly can help you to feel better about your life. Your children need you emotionally and think about what your mental health (or potential suicide) would do to them. I know it's incredibly hard but I think you should seek some help regarding the payments as it doesn't sound right - see a solicitor (you may get legal aid and if not, the first consultation is often free and they be able to just give you some advice) and call the CSA and see what can be done. This is no way to go on, but please please don't despair. Things will improve, you just have to find a way and pull yourself together. Good luck.
Twilight - 25 January 2012 @ 8:45 AM
CSA has just put my payments up to 360 every four weeks leaving my take home pay at 700 a month. my mortgage is 600 and council tax is 100. how am I supposed to eat and travel to work. In two years I have amounted over 6000 on credit cards, water gas electric and phone goes onto overdraft which is paid off by taking out loans. My daughter comes to stay and has to eat cheap junk food as I cannot afford fresh fruit and veg. I cannot afford to take her out and have several nervous breakdowns in front of her. Her mum only gets 60 every 4 weeks and my sons mum gets the 300! why is it first borns get an uneven share? Especially as his mum has married a very well paid man who she left me for! My life ended the day she left, and this cancer called the csa just takes what they want. I only wish I had the courage to end my life and stop this suffering and sleepless nights.
adi-ipswich - 18 January 2012 @ 12:21 AM
Hello im a bit confused i recieved a phone call from child support saying that now my son is 19 chid support is going to end he is still in full time education,i then said oh so all payments are going to stop they said they would sort out any arrears thats owed can anyone explain things a bit better to me?thanks
maddie - 15 January 2012 @ 6:21 PM
My daughter finishes her course at college in july 2012 she is 18 in may 2012 she wants to do another course until she is 19 will my ex still have to pay maintenance? will the amount have to change? will I still be eligble for tax credits and child benefit if my situation is the same?
kas - 14 January 2012 @ 3:36 PM
My daughter is 19 NEXT August ( 2013). She is expecting to go to Uni. I am currently paying a large amount to the CSA for her and her half brother( two different mothers). When will the CSA payments to my ex for my daughter stop?? I understand it is the END of the term when she is 19. She is 19 during the Summer break?? Can someone PLEASE explain?
Old man. - 13 January 2012 @ 10:15 PM
My daughter turned 19 on the 8th january , I was told by the csa that payments end the day before her 19th birthday , now im hearing it is the end of the school year when they are 19 , which is right ?
smitch - 13 January 2012 @ 9:37 AM
My daughter turns 18 in February 2012. She is still attending college and hoping to go to university in September this year. My ex wife and I have an agreement instead of going through the csa. How long will I have to continue to make payments to my ex wife? I was considering opening an account in my daughters name and paying the money into an account for her instead.
Daz - 9 January 2012 @ 7:47 PM
I am currently trying to sort out child maintenance with my ex for our 3 children. I have requested he pays child maintenance until such time as children are 18 and cease full-time education or end of first degree. Is this fair? He says he will only agree to age of 16. He adds why should I get the money, it should go direct to children but knowing the deceit history with money I do not believe he would do this for them. Please advice.
Needhelp - 6 January 2012 @ 9:16 PM
My daughter is 18 in July 2012. She is studying her a-levels and is hoping to go to university. At the moment her dad pays through the C.S.A, but has stated that he will not support her through university. I only work part time and don't know how I am supposed to support her on my own. Is her father not responsible in helping with some kind of support for her?
chrissy - 4 January 2012 @ 10:39 PM
Can I put in a claim for maintainence after my child turns 18?
kat - 21 December 2011 @ 2:28 PM
I am still paying my ex wife maintenance for my daughter who is now 20 and at uni. maint was agreed via consent order to be paid until end of degree course, don't know how my solicitor got me to agree to this seems unfair - she only stays with ex at weekends now. Also daughter manages ro work at weekends. I would of course support her but feel paying ex £360 pounds a month to ex is funding ex's lifestyle and holidays and not providing for my daughter. Could I get this reduced or even stopped?
martiniontherocks - 11 December 2011 @ 8:49 PM
my dad as never paid child maintenence i am now 19 years old how do i get child maintenence form him ?
holly - 9 December 2011 @ 3:02 PM
I wonder if you can answer a question for me regarding CSA payments!! I have been unemployed for a while and currently secured work on a temporary basis, earning £241 a week. I have 2 children aged 16 having left school in September 2011, they both attend college on a part time basis which is over 16 hours a week, but they also have taken a part time job again over 16 hours a week earning over £400 a month. My question is do i need to pay child support to my ex under these circumstances, and if so how much???
Many thanks
Ian - 19 November 2011 @ 3:02 PM
My consent order states that I pay child support until my daughter reaches 18 or finishes full time secondary education. She is at college ( FE ) and turned 18 last April. Just recently I stoipped paying maintainance in September as I was told that the first two years of college in uk can count as secondary education. My ex has stopped me from seeing my daughter since 2002 and said she will take me for every penny, she done well from the divorce got a new house car etc and I now am in debt. I recently got a letter from the court saying that she has registered with them for non payment of maintainance. What do I do next?
dmcol - 17 November 2011 @ 9:09 AM
My son is 17 and has just got a apprenticeship,do I still have to pay maintence?
robinson - 16 November 2011 @ 8:38 PM
I'm going through the emotions right now with all this I've just found out I'm a dad from a past relationship yet my ex partner will not give me access and has moved to another part of the country leaving me with the mental issues of not seeing my son. She has other kids to other people also yet they do not have access to their kids form what I heard. Anyway my child is now 14 so how would this work out as every time I try to prove Dna she denies me. Every way I want to get in my son's life she flaggs and tells me im a bad dad and CSA are looking for me, But im trying to be decent and get involved with my son? Once I can get establishment that he is my son will I have to pay backpay maintence or can I just set an acount up to pay for my son as I know I would like my son to get the money, Not the partner? Can anyone explain I'm so fed up with her using my son as a bargaining chip have read the articles on this site but it seems a lenghty process and one I don't know will pay off or will my son hate me for it?
lol - 15 November 2011 @ 5:58 AM
My husband pays for two children even though one of them is now working is this correct?
Sue - 10 November 2011 @ 3:29 PM
Q. What reasons do Maintenance Payments stop for ? I have a nominal order against me and am unemployed due to ill health. Ex is cohabbiting (not officially) can I get the order taken off ?Q.I overpayed several thousand pounds in mortgage payments compared to CSA payments during 2 year divorce. Ex denies it was in lieu of CSA payments, can I get it back/offset against future payments ?
Skint - 6 November 2011 @ 11:13 AM
Hi can someone help me please I have paid maintenance direct for over 12 years and would like some clarification my son is part time working earning up to £500 a month and also in college 20 hours per week, he is 18 and I am confused on wether I can stop payments to my ex partner
m att - 30 October 2011 @ 9:48 PM
my son quit college in march this year, he's 18 has been claiming job seekers allowance ever since then .I'm still paying child maintinence for him. im slightly confused because i thought that if your child isnt in full time education or courses then payments should stop. am i right in saying this? should i still be paying?
dicky - 29 October 2011 @ 9:00 PM
Not clear to me what you mean by “..until the end of the school year when they turn 19”.
My daughter will be 19 years old in 27 October 2012, she will do her A level exams in June 2012 and is likely to start university in September 2012.When should I stop paying CSA maintenance, in June 2012? in September 2012? in October 2012? or maybe only at some point in 2013?
dj - 27 October 2011 @ 9:03 PM
My question relates to the CSA and maintaining payments. My CSA payments are constructed on the old system - I have not been transferred to the 'new' system (at least to the best of my knowledge).
My son is 17 years old and is now in 6th form. He is also working (he has one part time job and is applying for others). When my daughter left school and went to college she was working part time in Boots. I reported this as my ex-wife should have, but didn't. The CSA stopped the payment immediately and my ex-wife had to repay two months payment.
Am I correct in that my ex-partner who I have my son with should report the change in status to the CSA i.e. that he is working now? Given that the CSA stopped the payments at 17 for my daughter am I correct in thinking that they should now stop collecting payments as he has a part-time job (as well as being in full time education)?
Many thanks.
Marko - 22 October 2011 @ 10:23 AM
I have two sons one of which is 14 and one 16 and have agreed to pay maintenence until they finish full time education eldest son has just started college and likely to be going on to university can you please tell me when payments can stop as he won't be at home if he goes to university?
huck - 17 October 2011 @ 7:31 PM
I recieved csa maintenance payments for my son as he is in full time education up untill a few weeks ago they have stopped as my son turned 19. Have recieved a letter from the csa to say that payments are no longer inforce as of him turning 19. My son is in full time education up untill he is 20 but have still been told payments finish at 19. I spoke to my local mp about this as child benefit and child tax is still paid untill he leaves fulltime education in which will be when he is 20 next september. I recieved a letter back to say that under a future scheme the age will be 20 to align with the maximum age of child benefit and child tax. This letter was recieved back in june and nothing has changed to the age limit , So this does not help me when at this moment when I need it.
suewww - 7 October 2011 @ 10:28 AM
After reading the commments on the site I found one of your s that stated "If your daughter goes to university, you are committed to Maintenance Payments until the end of the school year when she turns 19.
I have been told by the CSA that now that my son is going to University, the claim will stop immediately although he is not 19 until January and I assumed I would still get payments until next year. Could you confirm whether this is right or not
Fozzy - 27 September 2011 @ 4:34 PM
My 18 year old daughter has been going to college for the last year, but this year is working in a hairdressers four days a week and going to college for 5 hours on a monday. should I still be paying maintenance?
old dad - 12 September 2011 @ 9:19 PM
My partner brought his two boys up as a single father when his then partner walked out for 8 years. She never paid any money in maintaince, paid for school trips, uniforms etc & even when he wanted a break he paid her look after them other than that she rarely saw them. He was awarded residency for them both by the courts. Three years ago he choose to move away from the area he lived. The oldest came with him & has since moved on as he's 19. The youngest made the decision to move with his mother he was 14 at the time. She has never worked although capable & claims benefits. She is now threatening to go to the CSA bearing in mind the history. His son is now 17 and going to college. My partner give money for birthday & Xmas but has said he should get a part time job and so should she. Would the CSA look at the history of case with her never paying anything for all those years ? We have court documents & still the residency order.
Andrea - 6 September 2011 @ 11:19 AM
I have a two part question:Do payments stop automatically or do you need to inform the CSA yourself? Can the CSA perform a retrospective calculation of maintenance paid?
Dad - 23 August 2011 @ 5:32 PM
If your daughter goes to university, you are committed to Maintenance Payments until the end of the school year when she turns 19.
SeparatedDads - 11 August 2011 @ 2:17 PM
My daughter is going to uni. When do I stop paying my maintenance to my ex wife??
john - 11 August 2011 @ 10:14 AM
I have just got a csa demand for £120 a month. I have my daughter here 3 nights a week and my son lives with me perminatly although he's 19 and they wont take him into account. My wage is £239 a week. How do they expect anyone to live? We agreed an amount 3 years ago and my wages haven't gone up since then and i've kept up those payments. How could it be right that the brother of my daughter gets punished as well as we could lose the house over this.
tom - 31 July 2011 @ 8:06 PM
I currently pay maintenance weekly as calculated by the CSA to my ex wife for my daughter. My daughter lives with her mam and last month celebrated her 18th birthday.My daughter will this month finish college education and has commenced looking for employment, she has no plans to return to education.I understand from reading various information on the web that my final CSA payment will be the first week in September.Is this correct?
Rossi - 28 July 2011 @ 12:30 PM
My Husband was informed back in 1999 that due to his and his ex-wifes circumstances he did not have to pay any more child support, and gave us money back it is now 3 weeks before his 18 birthday and has had a letter through saying he owes £1,447, they have asked for this in full, how can they just ask after 12 yrs, is there a period of time that this gets written off or not. As we both cannot understand all this and we have got 3 children still in full education.
lindylou - 20 July 2011 @ 8:37 AM
My daughter will be 18 in November 2011 and is studying for her A levels.My husband said he does not need to pay after July 2012 when she finishes sixth form.Please can you confirm if he is correct.She may go onto college for a further two years to study dance.
mickey - 18 July 2011 @ 7:44 PM
I pay my ex-wife £525 maintenance per month for each of my 2 daughters i.e. £1050 per month. My elder daughter is going to uni. We have agreed total tuition fees, accom costs and a monthly living allowance for my daughter. I will pay 50%. My wife will (hopefully) pay 50%. My living allowance will be paid to my daughter 12 months of the year. So when my daughter is at home during hols, she can pay my ex housekeeping.But my ex-wife is adamant that I continue to pay her £525 per month maintenance as well!Am I right to tell her politely to get lost?
John - 18 July 2011 @ 11:20 AM
I have being paying the csa for at least 15 years now, my daughter is at university and I have a son who has just turned 18. I only pay for my son now, however it is only about £30 per month less that when I was paying for both also they claimed I was in arrears, how can this be as payments are deducted direct from my wages. Over the 15 years I have been involved with the csa I feel they just make up the rules and have no faith in anything they do, I am a single man with no other children living in a shared rented flat, the mother of my children is married to a quantity surveyor and has two more children, a beautiful house and holiday home, because I am a low earner and the excessive payments do not allow me to move forward. with my son now 18 does this not mean payments to the csa end?
kbb - 10 July 2011 @ 8:42 PM
The Child Support Agency (CSA) can calculate the level of maintenance you should pay for your child. The amount set depends on a number of factors, but it boils down to three basic things - your net income, how many children you’ll be paying maintenance for, and how many children are living with you. For more information, go to the CSA website http://www.csa.gov.uk/en/maintenance/
SeparatedDads - 29 June 2011 @ 11:27 AM
I earn £950 month but have daughter 3x week. How much should I pay in maintenance?
Scotty - 28 June 2011 @ 10:23 PM
My stepson is 18 on the 13.5.2012, and completed his 2nd year of A levels. He will be getting a job or going to uni. will I stop paying CSA.
sow - 26 June 2011 @ 1:05 PM
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