Official Position
For England, Scotland and Wales, GOV.UK confirms that CMS payment arrangements can be managed through Direct Pay or Collect & Pay. Under Direct Pay, the paying parent pays the receiving parent directly and there are no CMS collection fees.
GOV.UK also specifically tells parents to keep a record of payments because a bank statement may be needed if a missed payment is reported.
What Is Direct Pay?
CMS calculates the liability, but the actual payment passes directly between the parents.
CMS Calculates the Maintenance
CMS applies the statutory calculation rules and tells both parents how much maintenance is due.
Parents Arrange the Payment
The paying parent normally pays the receiving parent directly by an agreed traceable method such as bank transfer or standing order.
Parents Keep Payment Records
Direct Pay makes independent record keeping particularly important because CMS does not normally process every payment itself.
How Direct Pay Works
CMS Makes the Calculation
CMS determines the statutory maintenance amount under the applicable calculation rules.
Both Parents Receive the Payment Plan
CMS issues information showing how much should be paid and when. The payment plan can also be available through the online CMS account.
The Paying Parent Pays Directly
The parents agree a practical method such as bank transfer or standing order. The payment should be made in accordance with the CMS payment plan.
Both Parents Keep Evidence
Keep evidence of payments made and received, correspondence, changes to bank details, and any dispute raised with CMS.
Report Missed or Short Payments
The receiving parent can report missed or insufficient payments through the official CMS account or contact route.
CMS May Move the Case to Collect & Pay
If the paying parent does not pay in full and on time, CMS can change the payment method to Collect & Pay.
Benefits of Direct Pay
No Collection Charges
There are no CMS collection fees while payments are successfully managed through Direct Pay.
Direct Payment
The maintenance payment goes directly from the paying parent to the receiving parent.
Less CMS Handling
CMS calculates the amount, but does not routinely collect and pass on each Direct Pay payment.
Traceable Bank Payments
Electronic payments can provide strong independent records if a later dispute arises.
Predictable Payment Plan
CMS provides a payment plan showing what is due and when.
Can Avoid Collect & Pay Fees
Where Direct Pay continues successfully, the 20% paying-parent and 4% receiving-parent Collect & Pay fees do not apply.
Risks of Direct Pay
Missing Evidence
A payment may be difficult to prove if bank records, receipts or references are lost.
Poor Payment References
Vague references can make it harder to identify which transfer was intended as child maintenance.
Historic Disputes
A disagreement can arise long after the payment was allegedly made or missed.
Alleged Non-Payment
The receiving parent may report a payment as missing, requiring evidence from the paying parent.
Record Differences
The parents' own records may not match each other or the CMS case history.
Collect & Pay Transfer
Repeated or serious payment failures may result in CMS moving the case to Collect & Pay.
Why Payment Records Matter
GOV.UK expressly tells Direct Pay users to keep a record of payments. If a missed payment is reported, a bank statement may be required. This makes independent, traceable evidence one of the strongest protections for both paying and receiving parents.
| Evidence | What to Keep | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Statement, transaction ID, date, amount, recipient and reference | Provides independent banking evidence that a payment left the account |
| Standing order | Instruction, schedule and completed transactions | Shows a regular payment arrangement and payment history |
| Payment reference | Clear wording identifying maintenance and, where useful, the child's name or CMS reference | Helps distinguish child-maintenance payments from other transfers |
| Written communication | Emails, texts, letters or parenting-app messages | Can evidence discussions about dates, amounts and alleged missed payments |
| CMS notices | Payment plan, annual reviews, decisions and complaint responses | Shows the amount CMS said should have been paid during each period |
Keeping Payment Records
Bank Transfers
- Bank statements
- Transaction confirmations
- Reference numbers
- Screenshots where useful
- Date and recipient account
Standing Orders
- Original standing-order instruction
- Payment schedule
- Bank confirmations
- Evidence of cancelled or changed instructions
Written Records
- Emails
- Letters
- Text messages
- Parenting-app communications
- CMS account messages
Payment References
Clear References
Where your bank allows it, use a reference that makes the purpose of the payment easy to identify later.
- Child maintenance
- CMS maintenance
- Maintenance payment
- Child's name + maintenance
- Your CMS reference where appropriate
Avoid Ambiguous References
A vague payment reference may create additional disagreement if money is also transferred for clothing, school costs, debts, gifts or other family expenses.
Keep the statutory maintenance payment identifiable from voluntary or additional payments.
Direct Pay Protection
Keep Independent Records
Do not rely only on either parent's memory or on a future CMS record.
Keep More Than One Copy
Secure digital copies and downloaded statements reduce the risk of records disappearing.
Check CMS Decisions
Check payment amount, calculation period, effective date and later annual reviews.
Record Changes
Keep evidence of changed bank details, revised payment dates and changes formally reported to CMS.
Separate Extra Payments
If you pay additional money voluntarily, label it clearly so it is not confused with statutory maintenance.
Act Early
Payment disagreements are often easier to investigate while banking records and correspondence are readily available.
If Payments Stop or Are Short
Check the Payment Plan
Confirm the amount and due date before treating the payment as missed.
Check the Bank Records
Check whether a transfer was delayed, rejected, sent to the wrong account or made under an unfamiliar reference.
Communicate Where Appropriate and Safe
A simple error may sometimes be resolved directly. There is no requirement to contact the other parent where doing so would be unsafe.
Report the Missed Payment to CMS
The receiving parent can use the online CMS account or official contact route to report a missed or insufficient payment.
Provide Evidence
CMS may ask for bank evidence when investigating a Direct Pay dispute.
Possible Move to Collect & Pay
If the paying parent does not pay in full and on time, CMS can change the case to Collect & Pay.
Collect & Pay
Under Collect & Pay, CMS collects the payment from the paying parent and passes it to the receiving parent. Current GOV.UK guidance states that the paying parent is charged 20% on top of the maintenance amount and the receiving parent has 4% deducted from the maintenance passed on.
If Collect & Pay is being used, GOV.UK states that paying the receiving parent directly does not avoid the collection fees.
Protecting Yourself Against Incorrect or Disputed Arrears
Keep Every Bank Statement
Download statements for the entire liability period rather than relying only on what remains visible in a banking app.
Keep Transaction Evidence
Save payment IDs, references and confirmation screens.
Keep CMS Payment Plans
The liability figure must be compared with what CMS said was due for the relevant period.
Build a Month-by-Month Schedule
List what was due, what was paid, the transaction reference and the resulting balance.
Ask CMS for Its Breakdown
Ask which payments CMS has credited and what period the claimed arrears cover.
Challenge the Correct Issue
A payment-record dispute and a dispute about the underlying maintenance calculation may require different challenge routes.
What If CMS Does Not Accept Your Evidence?
Ask for a Full Explanation
Ask what evidence was considered, what was not accepted, and why the evidence did not change the decision.
Provide Focused Evidence
Identify the exact disputed payment, date and amount and attach the bank record that supports your position.
Mandatory Reconsideration
If the dispute concerns an appealable CMS decision, ask for mandatory reconsideration. Current GOV.UK guidance says you normally have 30 days from the date on the decision letter.
Tribunal Appeal
If you remain dissatisfied with an appealable decision after mandatory reconsideration, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal within the applicable deadline.
Formal Complaint
Use the CMS/DWP complaint procedure for service failures, delay, poor communication, failure to follow procedures or maladministration.
Independent Case Examiner
ICE can consider eligible complaints after the final complaint response. Current ICE guidance says you must normally contact ICE within 6 months of receiving that final response.
Legal Rights & Administrative Safeguards
Lawful Administration
CMS must act within the powers given by child-support legislation and regulations.
Relevant Evidence
Where a decision depends on disputed facts, provide evidence that directly addresses those facts.
Reasons and Transparency
Ask CMS to explain the basis of a disputed decision and the evidence relied upon.
Challenge Rights
Eligible decisions can be reconsidered and appealed through the statutory process.
Data Accuracy
UK GDPR includes a right to ask for inaccurate personal data to be rectified where the legal conditions are met.
Complaint Rights
Service failures can be raised through DWP, then potentially ICE and ultimately PHSO after the required complaint stages.
Relevant Legislation & Official Rules
Child Support Act 1991
The principal statutory framework for child support maintenance, collection and enforcement.
Read ActChild Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008
Made major reforms to calculation, collection, enforcement and debt-management powers.
Read ActCollection & Enforcement Regulations 1992
Contains statutory rules on payment methods, collection arrangements and enforcement.
Read regulationsManagement of Payments & Arrears Regulations 2009
Contains provisions relevant to arrears notices, attribution of payments, overpayments, recovery and write-off.
Read regulationsData Protection Act 2018
Forms part of the UK's legal framework for processing personal information.
Read ActHuman Rights Act 1998
Public authorities must act compatibly with Convention rights where those rights are engaged.
Read ActData Protection & Access to Records
Subject Access Request
You can ask for copies of personal information held about you. This may help establish what case records, payment information and correspondence are held.
Rectification
UK GDPR gives individuals the right to ask for inaccurate personal data to be corrected in appropriate circumstances. Correcting personal data is not automatically the same as changing a statutory CMS decision, so an appeal or reconsideration route may also be needed.
Accountability & Oversight
CMS / DWP Complaints
First-stage route for complaints about CMS service and administration.
CMS complaintsIndependent Case Examiner
Independent examination of eligible DWP/CMS maladministration complaints after the final complaint response.
ICEIndependent Tribunal
Social Security and Child Support Tribunal for eligible appeals after mandatory reconsideration.
Appeal informationPHSO
Final-stage Ombudsman route for unresolved UK government complaints. A complaint about a government department must be referred by an MP.
PHSO guidanceInformation Commissioner's Office
Independent regulator for UK data-protection and information rights.
ICONorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland has its own CMS administration and official NI Direct guidance.
Payment Methods & Plans
Official Northern Ireland guidance covering Direct Pay, Collect & Pay, keeping payment records and reporting missed payments.
NI payment guidancePayment Problems
NI Direct information about early payments, missed payments and payment problems.
NI payment problemsAppeals & Complaints
Official Northern Ireland route for challenging a CMS decision or raising a complaint.
NI appeals & complaintsIndependent Help Across the UK
Citizens Advice — England
Independent advice about child maintenance, unpaid maintenance, evidence and CMS problems.
England adviceCitizens Advice Scotland
Independent advice through Scotland's Citizens Advice network.
Scotland adviceCitizens Advice — Wales
Independent child-maintenance and family guidance for people in Wales.
Wales adviceAdvice NI
Independent advice network in Northern Ireland covering benefits, debt and related financial issues.
Advice NIRight First Time UK CMS Hub
Further child-maintenance information, transparency material, guides and support resources.
Open CMS HubOfficial CMS Calculator
Estimate the statutory maintenance amount using the official government calculator.
CMS calculatorDirect Pay Protection Checklist
- ✓ Pay electronically wherever possible.
- ✓ Use a clear child-maintenance payment reference.
- ✓ Save bank statements and transaction confirmations.
- ✓ Keep screenshots where useful.
- ✓ Retain all CMS correspondence and payment plans.
- ✓ Keep records of changed bank details and payment arrangements.
- ✓ Separate statutory maintenance from voluntary extra payments.
- ✓ Review CMS calculations and effective dates carefully.
- ✓ Build a payment schedule if arrears are disputed.
- ✓ Ask CMS for a written breakdown of any disputed balance.
- ✓ Challenge appealable decisions within the relevant deadline.
- ✓ Do not assume a complaint automatically protects an appeal deadline.
- ✓ Keep records for the long term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Direct Pay cost anything?
No CMS collection fee is charged for Direct Pay. Collect & Pay has separate fees.
Does CMS monitor every Direct Pay payment?
Direct Pay means the payment is made directly between the parents. This is why GOV.UK advises parents to keep records and says bank statements may be needed when missed payments are reported.
What is the best evidence of a Direct Pay payment?
A bank statement or other independent banking record showing the amount, date, recipient and a clear payment reference is usually particularly useful evidence.
Can CMS move a Direct Pay case to Collect & Pay?
Yes. GOV.UK states that if the paying parent does not pay in full and on time, CMS can change the payment method to Collect & Pay.
Can I challenge an incorrect CMS decision?
Many child-maintenance decisions can be challenged by mandatory reconsideration and, if appropriate, tribunal appeal. Check the decision notice because some decisions have different routes.
Key Message
Direct Pay can provide a flexible and cost-effective way to manage statutory child maintenance because there are no CMS collection fees while the arrangement is working successfully.
Its biggest practical protection is evidence. Keep payment records, use clear references, retain CMS decisions, document changes and investigate any disputed arrears promptly.
A Direct Pay payment that can be independently traced and matched to the correct maintenance period is far easier to prove than one supported only by memory or verbal agreement.