To put it simply, the difference between child support and child maintenance is that child support is financial support for children under the age of 18 whereas child maintenance is financial support for adult children over the age of 18.
What is needed for child maintenance?
Visit the nearest magistrates’ court to apply for child maintenance and take the following documents
- Birth certificate of your child/children.
- Your identity document.
- Proof of residence.
- A divorce settlement.
- Proof of your monthly income and expenses.
How much should a father pay in child maintenance?
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.
Is school uniform included in child maintenance?
Child maintenance covers the cost of the everyday care of the child, such as food, clothes and housing. Expenses such as school fees do not fall under child maintenance – parents who are getting a divorce can make a “Family Based Arrangement” to deal with costs like this.
What if I Cannot pay maintenance?
Usually the defaulter cannot pay the fine, but even if he/she can, it is undesirable that the money should go to the state. The sentence for failure to pay maintenance arises from failure to obey a court order, which is a criminal offence. Defaulters can be imprisoned for a period not exceeding one year.
How is child maintenance calculated?
When to pay child support or child maintenance?
Child Maintenance is financial support for a dependent Child over 18 years of age. Adult Child Maintenance can be payable when a child is studying, has a physical or mental disability or has a serious illness.
How does child maintenance work in the UK?
The ‘receiving parent’ has main day-to-day care of the child. The Child Maintenance Service will check for things that could change the gross income amount (for example, pension payments or other children they support). Then they’ll convert the yearly gross income into a weekly figure.
How does the child maintenance service check income?
The Child Maintenance Service will find out the paying parent’s yearly gross income from information supplied by HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ). They’ll also check if the paying parent is getting benefits (tax credits, student grants and loans don’t count as income). The ‘paying parent’ doesn’t have main day-to-day care of the child.
When does the court order child maintenance services?
This is possible in a case where the application is made to the court, instead of the child maintenance services. Usually, the commencement date is the day when the court makes its order. However, the court can decide to backdate the payments. It can be shifted to any time, as early as the date of the application.
