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Child maintenance – how to apply

There are three ways of applying through the Child Support Agency (CSA).

You can apply for child maintenance:

• by phone
• by downloading an application form
• online

Apply for child maintenance by phoning the CSA

You can apply by phoning the CSA.

Call Back Service

You can get someone from the CSA to call you, and complete your application over the phone. To register your application and request a call back, use the following link.

• Contact the CSA Opens new window

• Register your application and request a call back Opens new window

Apply using a child maintenance application form

The child maintenance form you need to download and fill in depends on your circumstances.

If you’re the parent with care and would like to apply for child maintenance, use the following application form.

• Download 'Application for child maintenance' (PDF, 119K) Opens new window

If you’re a child living in Scotland and would like to apply for child maintenance use the following application form.

• Download 'Application for child maintenance (Child in Scotland)' (PDF, 36K) Opens new window

If you're the non-resident parent and want to apply, and the parent with care has not already applied, use the following application form.

• Download 'Application to pay child maintenance' (PDF, 118K) Opens new window

If you are the non-resident parent and the parent with care has already applied, use the following application form.

• Download 'Child maintenance enquiry' (PDF, 144K) Opens new window

The parent with care is the parent or carer who the child normally lives with. The non-resident parent is the parent who the child does not normally live with.

The application form you use must be signed by whoever is making the application.

You need to print the application form, fill it in and send it to the following address:

Child Support Agency
PO Box 258
St Leonards on Sea
TN38 1GP

Apply for child maintenance online

To apply online use the following link:

• Apply for child maintenance online Opens new window

Information you need to provide when applying

When you apply to receive or pay child maintenance, you’ll need to provide information about you and your family, such as:

• your National Insurance number and bank account details
• details about the child you’re applying for - including the full names of their mother and father

If you're the parent with care, you'll also need to give enough information for the CSA to identify and find the non-resident parent. For example, you’ll need to tell the CSA their name and address.

The more information you can give the CSA, the quicker your case can be set up. The CSA won’t be able to set up a case if you do not give enough information about:

• yourself
• the other people included in the application

Find out more about what information you need to provide by downloading the 'Child maintenance application checklist'.

• Download 'Child maintenance application checklist' (PDF, 28K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

How long it takes to make the arrangement

Within four weeks of getting an application, the CSA will start gathering the information it needs from the non-resident parent.

In most cases the CSA will let you know if you can get child maintenance within 12 weeks of applying. Sometimes it can take up to 26 weeks, for example, if:

• a parent with care cannot provide contact details
• the contact details for the non-resident parent are out of date

Within six weeks of making payment arrangements with the non-resident parent, the first child maintenance payment should be made to the parent with care.

When contact details for the non-resident parent are not known, the CSA will try to find them as quickly possible. But if it can’t find the non-resident parent it can’t open a case.

Dealing with non-payment

If non-resident parents don’t pay, the CSA can take action to recover any child maintenance they owe.

You can get more information about the action the CSA can take to recover maintenance using the following link.

• How the CSA deals with non-payment

More useful links

• How the CSA works out child maintenance

• Using the CSA to arrange child maintenance