1. The CSA
- At the end of June 2014 the CSA started the process of closing down.
- If you are receiving payments through the CSA, the payments will continue for a year or two. You will then be given notice that the payments will be made through the Child Maintenance Service
- If you made an application to the CSA but the payer was assessed as having to pay nil, you will receive a letter explaining that your case has been closed.
2. The Child Maintenance Service, (CMS), has replaced the CSA
The CMS can:-
- Locate a parent
- Resolve parentage issues
- Calculate maintenance
- Collect from the payer
- Pay to the receiving parent
- Review payments annually and upon a change of circumstances
- Take enforcement action
The CMS charges application, collection and enforcement fees from 30 June 2014
- The application fee is £20.00
- Deduction from earnings order is £50.00
- Regular deduction order is £50.00
- Lump sum deduction order is £200
- Liability Order is £300
- For collection and payment fees see below.
No fee is payable if:-
- You are able to agree maintenance between yourselves and it is paid regularly.
- You won’t have to pay collection fees while your case continues to be handled by the CSA.
- You wont have to pay an application fee in certain circumstances if you are a victim of domestic violence, are a resident of Northern Ireland or are under 19 years of age.
3. There is a new Child Maintenance Options
- The CMO helps and supports parents to put their own maintenance arrangements in place
- It is there to help people who cant use the CMS, for example, if the receiving parent and child live abroad or the paying parent lives abroad and is the CMS is unable to help.
- Parents seeking a new maintenance arrangement should therefor contact CMO first.
- The CMO can’t discuss existing CSA cases or existing CMS cases.
4. The Collect and Pay
- Where the CMS has worked out the maintenance they can help you to secure the payment via the Collect & Pay service.
- Fees are payable for Collect & Pay.
- Paying parents pay a 20% fee on top of the regular payment
- The receiving parent has a 4% fee deducted from their regular maintenance.
So, for every £100 of maintenance payable, the payer pays £120. The receiver gets £96
Much more information is available at:-
Phone: Child Maintenance Options 0800 0835 130
