Guidance

Child maintenance decision makers' guide

Guidance for DWP decision makers on child maintenance.

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published
16 October 2020
Last updated
7 May 2025 鈥� See all updates

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Details

This advice for DWP decision makers covers:

  • Child Maintenance 2012 scheme

Updates to this page

Published 16 October 2020
Last updated 7 May 2025 show all updates

  1. 皇冠体育app following chapters have been updated: Chapter 1: Child Maintenance Group abbreviations, Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16), Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26), Volume 6:,Collection and enforcement (chapters 49 to 95), CMDMG abbreviations summary of changes, CMDMG Volume 1 summary of changes, CMDMG Volume 2 summary of changes, CMDMG Volume 6 summary of changes.

  2. Updated 'Chapter 1: Child Maintenance Group abbreviations', 'Volume 3: Variations (chapters 27 to 36)', 'CMDMG abbreviations summary of changes' and also 'CMDMG Volume 3 summary of changes'.

  3. Volume 1: 皇冠体育app Basic Principles, Volume 1: Summary of Changes, Volume 4: Information Gathering and Volume 4 Summary of Changes, have been updated.

  4. Volume 3: Variations (chapters 27 to 36) and Volume 3: summary of changes have been updated.

  5. Updated Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16), Volume 6: Collection and enforcement (chapters 49 to 95), Volume 1 summary of changes and Volume 6 summary of changes.

  6. Updated Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16) and Volume 1: 皇冠体育app Basic Principles Summary of changes from December 2021.

  7. Updated Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16) and Volume 1 summary of changes.

  8. Updated CMDMG Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16), Volume 1 summary of changes, Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26) and Volume 2 summary of changes, and Volume 6: Collection and enforcement (chapters 49 to 95) and Volume 6 summary of changes. Also deleted Memo 01-24 - 皇冠体育app child support (management of payments and arrears and fees)(amendment) regulations 2024 and Memo 02-23 Child Maintenance - the Carer鈥檚 Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) regulations 2023 (consequential amendments) order 2023 鈥� these memos have been incorporated into the CMDMG chapters.

  9. Volume 3: Variations and Volume 3: summary of changes has been updated.

  10. 'Volume 4 summary of changes' and 'CMDMG Volume 4' updated.

  11. Updated Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26) and also CMDMG Volume 2 summary of changes.

  12. Updated 'Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26)' and also 'CMDMG Volume 2 summary of changes'.

  13. Created 01-24 - 皇冠体育app child support (management of payments and arrears and fees) (amendment) regulations 2024. Updated Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16) and also Volume 6: Collection and enforcement (chapters 49 to 95).

  14. Updated CMDMG Volume 7: Evidence and decision making (chapters 96 to 100) and summary of changes.

  15. Updated Volume 7: Evidence and decision making (chapters 96 to 100), Annex A: Client contact and added summary of changes for both.

  16. Updated CMDMG Volume 6: Collection and enforcement (chapters 49 to 95) and Volume 6 summary of changes

  17. Updated 'Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26)' and also added '02-23 Child Maintenance - the Carer鈥檚 Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) regulations 2023 (consequential amendments) order 2023'.

  18. Updated Child maintenance decision makers' guide, Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16) and summary of changes.

  19. Updated Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26) and also CMDMG Volume 2 summary of changes.

  20. Updated Volume 5: Review and appeals (chapters 42 to 48) and the CMDMG Volume 5 summary of changes.

  21. Updated Volume 7: Evidence and decision making (chapters 96 to 100) and also CMDMG Volume 7 summary of changes.

  22. Updated Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16), Volume 2: Maintenance Calculations (Chapters 17-26) and Volume 7: Evidence and decision making (chapters 96 to 100). Also updated the summary of changes for Volumes 1, 2 and 7.

  23. Updated Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26) and Volume 7: Evidence and decision making (chapters 96 to 100). Also updated CMDMG Volume 2 summary of changes.

  24. Updated Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16) Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26) and Volume 6: Collection and enforcement (chapters 49 to 95). Also updated CMDMG Volume 1 summary of changes, CMDMG Volume 2 summary of changes and CMDMG Volume 6 summary of changes.

  25. Updated 'Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26)' and summary of changes.

  26. Updated volumes 2 (Maintenance calculations) and 7 (Evidence and decision making) and the summary of changes documents for volumes 2 and 7.

  27. CMDMG volumes 1 (皇冠体育app basic principles) and 7 (Evidence and decision making) have been updated, and summary of changes documents added for both. Memos 01-21 and 01-22 have been removed as they're now incorporated within main CMDMG guidance.

  28. Updated Child maintenance decision makers' guide, volume 4: Gathering Information and added summary of changes - May 2022.

  29. Updated Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16). In chapter 15: Service types and methods of payment, section on 鈥淒irect pay for MOPs for PWC who have experienced domestic abuse鈥� added at paragraphs 15057 to 15060 and 鈥楴ote鈥� added to para. 15015. Updated Volume 5: Review and appeals (chapters 42 to 48). In chapter 45: Parentage disputes, removed section no longer relevant in paragraphs 45052 to 45055.

  30. Updated 'Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26)' and 'Volume 2 summary of changes'.

  31. Updated CMDMG Volumes 2 and 5, and Volumes 2 and 5 summary of changes.

  32. Added 鈥楥MDMG memo 1/22 皇冠体育app Adult Disability Payment 鈥� Child Maintenance鈥� and updated 鈥榁olume 3: Variations (chapters 27 to 36)鈥�. Also updated 鈥楥hapter 1: Child Maintenance Group abbreviations鈥� and added 鈥楥MDMG abbreviations summary of changes鈥�.

  33. Updated 'Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26)' and 'Volume 2 summary of changes'. Also updated 'Volume 5: Review and appeals (chapters 42 to 48)' and 'Volume 5 summary of changes'.

  34. Updated Volume 1 and Volume 1 summary of changes.

  35. Updated 'Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16)' and 'Volume 1 summary of changes'.

  36. Replaced 'Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16)' and 'Volume 1 summary of changes'.

  37. Updated 'Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26)' and added a new document 'CMDMG Volume 2 summary of changes'. Also updated 'Volume 5: Review and appeals (chapters 42 to 48)' and 'CMDMG Volume 5 summary of changes'.

  38. Replaced 'Volume 6: Collection and enforcement (chapters 49 to 95)' and added a new document 'Volume 6 summary of changes'.

  39. Replaced Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16) and CMDMG Volume 1 summary of changes.

  40. Replaced 'Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16)' and added new document 'Volume 1 summary of changes'.

  41. Updated Volume 3 and Volume 5 summary of changes. Added Volume 3 summary of changes.

  42. Updated Volume 5 Reviews and Appeals (Chapters 42-48). Added CMDMG summary of changes.

  43. Updated 'Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16)'.

  44. Updated Chapter 1: Child Maintenance Group abbreviations.

  45. Updated Volume 6: Collection and enforcement, chapter 54.

  46. Updated volume 4: Chapter 38 (Information gathering) is amended to include a note regarding 鈥楽EISS鈥� at paragraph 38019. Updated volume 7: Chapter 97 (Evidence 鈥� income) is amended to include a note regarding 鈥楽EISS鈥� at paragraph 97031.

  47. Added CMDMG memo 1/21 and updated Volume 3.

  48. Updated Volume 5: Review and appeals (chapters 42 to 48).

  49. Updated Volume 1: 皇冠体育app basic principles (chapters 3 to 16). This update includes CHB as Child Benefit in Chapter 5 and makes minor amendments to the Effective Date Table 4 in Chapter 14.

  50. Updated Volume 5: Reviews and appeals.

  51. Various minor amendments made to chapter 18 (Volume 2). Edited chapters 54 and 71 (Volume 6) to take into account that Indesser Enforcement scoring is no longer to be in use. Former guidance on Indesser in chapter 66 is now deleted and this chapter is 鈥楽pare.鈥欌��

  52. Updated Volume 1 and Volume 2.

  53. Updated the Child Maintenance Decision Makers Guide - Volume 5, Reviews and Appeals Chapters 42-48.

  54. Various minor amendments made to chapter 53 (Volume 6).

  55. Updated Volume 2 - Maintenance Calculations (Chapters 17-26).

  56. Various minor amendments made to chapters 44 (Volume 5) and 97 (Volume 7).

  57. Various minor amendments made to chapter 4 and chapter 14 (Volume 1).

  58. Various minor amendments made to chapter 4 (Volume 1). Added 鈥楢nnex D: Understanding employed and self-employed earners鈥�. Annex D explains the various types of employment and self-employment status a non-resident parent (NRP) may have and provides guidance for dealing with cases where the NRP's employment status is complex, for example where the NRP is a company director.

  59. Minor amendments made to chapter 14 (Volume 1).

  60. Minor amendments made to chapters 38 (Volume 4), 53, 54 and 56 (Volume 6) and 97 (Volume 7).

  61. Minor amendments made to chapters 5 (Volume 1), 14 (Volume 1) and 97 (Volume 7).

  62. Various minor amendments made to chapters 14 (Volume 1), 20 (Volume 2) and 43 (Volume 5).

  63. Various minor amendments made to chapters 19, 20 and 25.

  64. Volume 2 updated with minor amendments to chapters 21 and 25.

  65. Various minor amendments made to chapters 19, 55 and 97.

  66. Updated volumes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7. Various minor amendments made to chapters 14, 19, 20, 33, 36, 43, 44 and 97.

  67. First published.

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