Child maintenance is financial support paid by one parent to another to help cover the cost of raising a child when the parents do not live together.
Payments can be arranged privately between parents, or through the government’s Child Maintenance Service (CMS) where an agreement cannot be reached.
Child maintenance is not classed as a public fund for immigration purposes. It can be accessed regardless of immigration status, including where a parent is subject to the no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition.
If a parent is unable to arrange child maintenance directly with the child’s other parent, they may be able to apply to the Child Maintenance Service.
To use the service, the parent who the child lives with, the other parent, and the child must generally be habitually resident in the UK. A person can be habitually resident regardless of their immigration status.
See the government information about making a child maintenance arrangement.
Page updated: 12 June 2026
Resident in a country/ area for an ‘appreciable period’ (usually of one to three months but can be shorter), with the intention to settle.
