Ask the Child Support Agency to calculate and/or collect maintenance on your behalf

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Making arrangements for child maintenance factsheet

Advantages

At the moment, the service is free.
The non-resident parent doesn't have to know your address or any other details about you.
You do not have to negotiate an amount or set up arrangements for payment with the non-resident parent and the CSA can take action against the non-resident parent if they fail to pay.
There may be compensation available if, for example, you suffer financial loss because of a mistake made by the CSA or if there have been long delays in dealing with your case.

Disadvantages

It is currently taking an average of over 6 months (27 weeks) for new applications to be processed. However, the other parent can pay you maintenance in the mean time and any amount they pay can be deducted from the amount built up while you were waiting for the application to be processed. (It is up to the CSA to decide whether it will deduct maintenance already paid.)
It can be difficult to find out from the CSA what is going on with your application and you are likely to have to push them to take action. See Tips for dealing with the Child Support Agency.
You have no control over any enforcement action the CSA may take and their record in taking prompt and effective enforcement action is poor, particularly where the non-resident parent is self-employed.
There is a maximum amount of child maintenance you can get through the CSA, even if the non-resident parent is extremely rich.


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Lone parents caring for a child with a disability or long- term health problem

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