Guidance

Child maintenance decision makers' guide

Guidance for DWP decision makers on child maintenance.

Documents

CMDMG memo 1/22: The Adult Disability Payment - Child Maintenance

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CMDMG memo 1/21: Disability assistance for children and young people – consequential amendments to Child Maintenance regulations

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Chapter 1: Child Maintenance Group abbreviations

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Chapter 2: Child Maintenance Group legislation

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Volume 1: The basic principles (chapters 3 to 16)

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Volume 2: Maintenance calculations (chapters 17 to 26)

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Volume 3: Variations (chapters 27 to 36)

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Volume 4: Information gathering (chapters 37 to 41)

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

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Volume 6: Collection and enforcement (chapters 49 to 95)

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Volume 7: Evidence and decision making (chapters 96 to 100)

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Annex A: Client contact

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Annex B: Court proceedings

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Annex C: Notifications

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Annex D: Understanding employed and self-employed earners

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CMDMG abbreviations summary of changes

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CMDMG Volume 1 summary of changes

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CMDMG Volume 2 summary of changes

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CMDMG Volume 3 summary of changes

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CMDMG Volume 5 summary of changes

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CMDMG Volume 6 summary of changes

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Details

This advice for DWP decision makers covers:

  • Child Maintenance 2012 scheme
Published 16 October 2020
Last updated 48 April 2022 + show all updates
  1. Updated CMDMG Volumes 2 and 5, and Volumes 2 and 5 summary of changes.

  2. Added ‘CMDMG memo 1/22 The Adult Disability Payment – Child Maintenance’ and updated ‘Volume 3: Variations (chapters 27 to 36)’. Also updated ‘Chapter 1: Child Maintenance Group abbreviations’ and added ‘CMDMG abbreviations summary of changes’.

  3. 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'.

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

  5. Updated 'Volume 1: The basic principles (chapters 3 to 16)' and 'Volume 1 summary of changes'.

  6. Replaced 'Volume 1: The basic principles (chapters 3 to 16)' and 'Volume 1 summary of changes'.

  7. 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'.

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

  9. Replaced Volume 1: The basic principles (chapters 3 to 16) and CMDMG Volume 1 summary of changes.

  10. Replaced 'Volume 1: The basic principles (chapters 3 to 16)' and added new document 'Volume 1 summary of changes'.

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

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

  13. Updated 'Volume 1: The basic principles (chapters 3 to 16)'.

  14. Updated Chapter 1: Child Maintenance Group abbreviations.

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

  16. Updated volume 4: Chapter 38 (Information gathering) is amended to include a note regarding ‘SEISS’ at paragraph 38019. Updated volume 7: Chapter 97 (Evidence – income) is amended to include a note regarding ‘SEISS’ at paragraph 97031.

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

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

  19. Updated Volume 1: The 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.

  20. Updated Volume 5: Reviews and appeals.

  21. 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 ‘Spare.’”

  22. Updated Volume 1 and Volume 2.

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

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

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

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

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

  28. Various minor amendments made to chapter 4 (Volume 1). Added ‘Annex D: Understanding employed and self-employed earners’. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  37. First published.