Parents should tell us if the non-resident parent's regular income changes, or there are any other changes to the information that we used to work out the amount of child maintenance that must be paid.
A non-resident parent should tell us if they:
- start or stop working for an employer
- start or stop being self-employed
- change jobs
- become unemployed, or
- start work after being unemployed.
If we have told a non-resident parent's employer to take child maintenance from their earnings through a deduction from earnings order, the non-resident parent must tell us if they change their employer.
A non-resident parent must also tell us:
- the name and address of their new employer, if they have one,
- the amount they expect to earn, and
- their payroll or employee number, if they have one.
Not all changes of circumstances will mean we need to change the amount of child maintenance that should be paid. We may not change the amount of child maintenance if the change to the non-resident parent's regular net weekly income is less than 5%.
Change of income on the old scheme
When will a change of income change the amount of child maintenance to be paid on the old scheme?
The following is a list of some of the circumstances that could mean we would look at a case again.
- the amount of child maintenance that must be paid would change by £10 a week or more, for example, if either parent's income has changed
- we included an amount of 'protected income' last time we worked out how much child maintenance must be paid, and the amount of maintenance the non-resident parent would have to pay would increase by £5 a week or more, or reduce by £1 a week or more
- the amount of child maintenance would change by £1 a week or more because either parent:
- has a new child living with them and their new partner, and
- that new child does not need child maintenance to be paid for them
- the non-resident parent or their partner starts to receive Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and has no other income
- the non-resident parent or their partner no longer receives Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- care of the child or children is now shared between the parents
- a child who we included when we last worked out the amount of child maintenance (either because the non-resident parent has been paying maintenance for them, or because they were living with the non-resident parent) leaves or joins the parent with care's household, or leaves school and starts work.
- we are given information by an organisation such as Jobcentre Plus, HMRC or a court which means that we think the amount of child maintenance should change.
For more information about when we look at cases again see our old scheme leaflet For parents who live apart:
You can find out how to contact us to tell us about the change to your circumstances here.
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