child support maintenance
The amount that a non-resident parent (i.e. one who does not live with the child concerned) must pay as a contribution to the upkeep of his or her qualifying child. Where the non-resident parent’s weekly income is £200 or more the amount payable is currently based on the following percentages of his or her gross weekly income: 12% for one qualifying child; 16% for two qualifying children; and 19% for three or more qualifying children. This is subject to a ceiling of £800 per week. Where the non-resident parent has gross weekly income of more than £800 the amount payable reduces to 9%, 12%, or 15% respectively for weekly income above £800 but less than £3,000. These amounts are reduced where a non-resident parent has other “relevant children” (children for whom he or his partner receives child benefit). A reduced rate is payable where the non-resident parent’s income is less than £200 but more than £100. Where the non-resident’s income is £100 or less or he or she, or his or her partner, is receiving prescribed benefits or a pension a flat rate of £5 is payable).

Under the Child Support Act 1991 the Child Support Agency (CSA) became responsible for the assessment, collection, and enforcement of maintenance for children, rather than the courts. These responsibilities were transferred to a new body, the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC), in 2008 and subsequently (2012) to the Child Maintenance Service. As a general rule it is to the statutory maintenance service that a parent must turn for maintenance for his or her child; the courts however do have the power to make payments in certain cases, for example in respect of a disabled child or where a child requires money to meet the cost of his education. Parents are now encouraged to enter into “family-based arrangements” before having recourse to the statutory service. The statutory body has wide powers of enforcement: it can for example make an order for payment to be deducted directly from wages.

https://www.gov.uk/making-child-maintenance-arrangement/using-child-maintenance-service

•Introduction to child maintenance from the GOV.UK website; includes a child maintenance calculator

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