Work out child maintenance, agree it in writing and keep a record that stands up.
Work out the figure, agree it in writing and keep a record, with one plain-English workbook.
The Child Maintenance Pack £4.99
18-page workbook · templates and records · 2026/27
Inside the pack (18 pages):
- Your figure, step by step. Six steps and DWP's worked example, so you can check any figure you're given.
- Shared care made clear. The 175-night rule and a 12-month diary of overnight stays.
- An arrangement template. Write down the amount, the day and what it covers, and both keep a copy.
- A payment record. A running record of what was due and what was paid.
Plus Direct Pay or Collect and Pay fees, the 25% change rule, money after separation and the official phone numbers.
Instant download · One-off payment · Full refund if it’s not for you
Checked against GOV.UK and the regulations, 29 October 2026
The Child Maintenance Pack
18-page workbook · templates and records · 2026/27
Inside the pack (18 pages):
- Your figure, step by step. Six steps and DWP's worked example, so you can check any figure you're given.
- Shared care made clear. The 175-night rule and a 12-month diary of overnight stays.
- An arrangement template. Write down the amount, the day and what it covers, and both keep a copy.
- A payment record. A running record of what was due and what was paid.
Instant download · 18 printable A4 pages · No subscription
✓ 14-day full refundNot useful? Contact us within 14 days for a refund.
Checked against GOV.UK, the Child Support Act 1991 and the 2012 Regulations on 29 October 2026.
The real cover and pages. Tap to see them full size.
Basic rate of child maintenance in 2026/27 (share of gross weekly income)
| Children | 12% 1 child | 16% 2 children | 19% 3 or more |
|---|
On income from £200 to £800 a week, before shared care. Source: GOV.UK, how child maintenance is worked out.
One night can matter. From the pack, a paying parent on £600 a week with one child:
Worked out with the CMS rules. The Child Maintenance Service decides.
What you do: fill in the six-step worksheet with your own numbers, agree the arrangement template, then keep the payment record and shared-care diary going.
Child maintenance is worked out from the paying parent's gross weekly income, the number of children, other children they support and how many nights the children stay with them.
This pack walks you through the six steps with DWP's own worked example, then gives you the templates and records that make an arrangement work: in writing, with dates, and with a running record of what's been paid.
- Checked 29 October 2026
- 18-page printable workbook
- Worked example to the penny
- Arrangement template
- England, Scotland and Wales
Most disagreements are about the details
How many nights the children stayed, what was agreed, what has been paid. A clear figure, a written arrangement and a record kept at the time settle most of them before they start.
- Guessing the nightsShared care bands start at 52, 104, 156 and 175 nights a year. Keep a diary as it happens.
- Nothing in writingA family-based arrangement isn't legally binding, but writing it down means you both remember the same thing.
- Asking for a change too soonOutside the annual review the CMS only recalculates for an income change of at least 25%.
- Paying fees you don't need toCollect and Pay adds 20% for the paying parent and takes 4% from the receiving parent; Direct Pay is free.
2026/27 figures. Source: GOV.UK: Child Maintenance Service, payments; Child Support Act 1991 Schedule 1; 2012 Regulations reg 23.
The kind of sums the pack works through
Three worked examples from the pack, each calculated with the CMS rules:
DWP's own example: Stephen
| Gross weekly income | £517.81 |
| After one other child at home (11%) | £460.85 |
| Basic rate, 2 children (16%) | £73.74 |
| Shared care (one-seventh) | −£10.53 |
£63.21 a week, £273.91 a month.
Collect and Pay fees on £96 a week
| Paying parent pays | £115.20 |
| Receiving parent gets | £92.16 |
Direct Pay: £96.00 paid and received, no fees.
A 25% drop in income (2 children)
| £520 a week | £83.20 |
| £390 a week | £62.40 |
A change this size can be reported straight away; smaller ones wait for the annual review.
Examples are fictional apart from DWP's published example. The Child Maintenance Service and the courts decide.
See real pages from the pack
18 printable A4 pages, written in plain English. Tap any page to read it full size.
What's inside, and what each part helps you do
- The 2026/27 rates on one pageNil, flat, reduced, basic and basic plus rates, other children, the default rate and shared care.
- Your figure, step by stepA six-step worksheet and DWP's worked example, reproduced to the penny.
- Shared care and a diaryThe 175-night rule, the 174-night cliff and a 12-month diary.
- A family-based arrangementWhat to agree, and a template you can both sign.
- Direct Pay or Collect and PayHow each works and what the fees cost.
- When to ask for a changeThe 25% rule, what you must report and a letter outline.
- Records and missed paymentsA payment record and what to do if payments stop.
- Money after separation and free helpUC, Child Benefit, Council Tax, when maintenance ends and the official phone numbers.
From a figure to an arrangement that works, in four steps
- Work it outFill in the six steps with your own numbers, or use the free calculator.
- Agree itUse the template to write down the amount, the day and what it covers.
- Record itKeep the payment record and shared-care diary going as things happen.
- Review itCheck once a year, and straight away if income changes by 25% or more.
If you can't agree, or it isn't safe to talk to the other parent, you can use the Child Maintenance Service instead.
Made for parents sorting out child maintenance
- Separating, and want to know what a fair figure is before you talk
- Arranging it yourselves and want it in writing
- Using the CMS and want to understand the calculation and the fees
- Thinking about asking for a change
- Northern Ireland: the rules are the same but the service is separate (nidirect).
- Court orders and income over £3,000 a week: get legal advice.
What it is not
- Not legal advice: the Child Maintenance Service and the courts decide.
- Not an official DWP or CMS product.
- It doesn't apply or report anything for you.
Work it out. Write it down. Keep the record.
Child Maintenance Pack 2026/27 · £4.99 one-off
- Instant download
- No subscription
- Updated for 2026/27
- 14-day refund
Instant download · 18 printable A4 pages · No subscription
✓ 14-day full refundNot useful? Contact us within 14 days for a refund.
Applying to the Child Maintenance Service is free. This pack is an optional guide.
Questions
Does it cost anything to apply to the Child Maintenance Service?
No. The £20 application fee was removed from 26 February 2024. Collect and Pay has collection fees; Direct Pay doesn't.
Is a family-based arrangement legally binding?
No. It's an agreement between parents. Writing it down helps you both remember the same thing.
How is shared care counted?
In nights a year the child stays overnight with the paying parent: 52 to 103 nights is one-seventh off, up to half at 175 nights or more.
Does this cover Northern Ireland?
The rules are the same, but Northern Ireland has its own Child Maintenance Service (nidirect).
Written and reviewed by the UK Benefits Calculator editorial team. Checked against GOV.UK, the Child Support Act 1991 and the Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 2012 on 29 October 2026. Every figure is calculated by the same engine as our free calculator, which reproduces DWP's published worked examples.
UK Benefits Calculator is independent. It is not part of GOV.UK, HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions and is not endorsed by DWP, Age UK, Citizens Advice or any organisation cited. Guidance is general information: check it against official sources, and get free specialist advice where your situation is complex. Payments are processed securely by Stripe.