Child maintenance FAQs

Is there a government body that is responsible for child maintenance?
The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has the responsibility for the child maintenance system in Great Britain. Its job is to 'promote the financial responsibility that parents have for their children; provide information and support about the different child maintenance options available; and provide an efficient statutory child maintenance service, with effective enforcement'. The Commission is also responsible for managing the Child Support Agency.

What is the Child Support Agency?

The CSA is part of the Child Maintenance Commission and operates the statutory maintenance scheme. Its job is to calculate and collect child maintenance from the parent who is not the main day-to-day carer of their child (what it terms the non-resident parent) and make sure that it is paid to the parent or person who is the main day-to-day carer of the child (what it terms the parent with care).