Who needs to pay child maintenance

You need a child maintenance arrangement if all of the following is true:

• one parent does not live with the child
• the parents do not equally share care
• your child is under 16, or under 20 and studying full time at an eligible level

Eligible level of study

The eligible level is up to and including SCQF level 7, except Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Certificates of Higher Education.

If your child studies any other course at level 7 or below, child maintenance payments will usually continue. 

Check what level your child is studying at on the SCQF website.

Find more information about eligibility on GOV.UK.

When payments will stop

When the payments stop depends on:

• the age of your child
• whether they're still studying full time

If your child is not studying full time

Payments will stop when they turn 16.

If your child is studying full time

Payments will stop when they:

• are 16 or over and stop studying full time
• are 16 or over and start studying at a level that is not eligible
• turn 20, even if they’re still studying full time at an eligible level

If they leave and return to studying full time, payments will restart until they:

• stop studying full time again
• start studying at a level that is not eligible
• turn 20

If your circumstances change

If your circumstances change, you may need to re-visit your arrangement. If you’ve used the Child Maintenance Service, you must report any changes in circumstance to them.

If one parent lives outside the UK

You may be able to arrange or enforce child maintenance if one parent lives outside the UK. This depends on where the parent lives and who they work for.

Get more information on if one parent lives outside the UK.