Working with the CSA on Support Payments

When Your Financial Situation Changes

Your income might increase through a promotion or new job, or it could drop suddenly if you face redundancy or reduced hours. Either way, if you pay child maintenance through the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), your payments will need to reflect your current circumstances.

Your maintenance amount is based on your gross income, and when that income changes significantly, your payments should change too. The CMS uses HMRC data to verify your earnings when changes are reported or suspected, rather than receiving automatic annual updates.

Reporting a change in circumstances is straightforward. You can do this by contacting the CMS directly, and they will reassess your case. The system aims to adjust payments based on what you actually earn, though bureaucratic delays can sometimes occur. If you want a rough idea of what you might pay after a change, online calculators can give you an estimate, though the official calculation may differ.

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What Happens if You Lose Your Job

Redundancy or job loss affects your ability to pay child maintenance. The CMS will recalculate your payments when your income drops.

If you move onto certain means tested benefits such as income based Jobseeker's Allowance with no other income, you will usually pay a flat rate. This is a fixed weekly amount rather than a percentage of earnings. Not all Universal Credit claimants will pay this flat rate, as it depends on your overall income. The exact figure is set by the government and can change, so check the child maintenance section on GOV.UK for the current rate.

Report your job loss to the CMS as soon as possible. Continuing to pay at your previous rate when you cannot afford it will cause problems. The CMS can backdate changes in some situations, but this is not guaranteed, so prompt reporting protects you.

Keep records of your redundancy notice, your benefit claim, and any correspondence with the CMS. If there are any disputes later about when your circumstances changed, having documentation will support your case.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

When Your Income Increases

If you get a new job or a significant pay rise, your maintenance amount may be adjusted when the CMS next reviews your case or when a change is reported.

The receiving parent can request a review if they believe your income has increased substantially. The CMS will then check your current earnings and recalculate if the increase meets their threshold. Generally, the change needs to result in a difference of at least 25% from the current calculation before the CMS will reassess. For the specific figures and current thresholds, search for "child maintenance calculation" on GOV.UK.

It is advisable to report income changes promptly. If your payments are set too low because of outdated information, arrears can build up once the CMS catches up with your actual earnings. These arrears will still need to be paid, and the CMS has several enforcement powers available to recover unpaid maintenance. These include deduction from earnings orders, where your employer takes payments directly from your wages, as well as deductions from bank accounts and, in serious cases, court action that can lead to driving licence removal or imprisonment.

Requesting a Reassessment

Either parent can ask the CMS to look at a case again when circumstances change. This includes changes to income, but also other factors such as the number of nights your children stay with you, or changes to how many children the calculation covers.

To request a reassessment, contact the CMS and explain what has changed. They will ask for evidence depending on the type of change. For income related adjustments, they will usually verify your earnings through HMRC records, though they may ask for payslips, P60s, tax returns for self employed income, or bank statements in some cases. Having three months of payslips available and your most recent P60 will cover most situations.

The CMS will not reassess every small change. The threshold generally requires either a 25% change in income or a change that would alter the weekly payment by a specified minimum amount.

If you disagree with a CMS decision, you have the right to challenge it through their mandatory reconsideration process and, if still unsatisfied, appeal to a tribunal. This is worth knowing if you believe they have made an error in calculating your income or applying the rules.

The system works best when both parents communicate changes promptly and the CMS has accurate information. Consider setting a reminder to review your maintenance situation whenever you have a significant change at work, whether that is a new role, a pay rise, reduced hours, or redundancy.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Child Maintenance Calculator lets you find out how much child maintenance you should pay or receive. Takes less than a minute. Try it now →