Disputed parentage
- Does the Child Support Agency force DNA testing?
- How does the CSA sort out disputes about parentage?
- When can the CSA presume parentage?
- If someone is proved not to be the parent of the child will they get a refund for any child maintenance they've paid?
- How much does a DNA test cost?
- Does the CSA make money from DNA testing?
- Who pays for DNA testing?
- Can people arrange their own DNA testing?
Q. Does the Child Support Agency force DNA testing?
A. We always ask the person named as the parent of a child if they accept that they are the parent before we work out child maintenance.
If they deny they are the parent after we work out how much child maintenance must be paid, they will have to pay child maintenance until they can successfully prove they are not the parent. They, not the CSA, are responsible for proving that they are not the parent.
We will only accept that the person named as a parent of a child is not the parent if there is conclusive evidence to prove this. This evidence could be results from DNA testing or if a court has previously declared a person to be the child's parent.
Q. How does the CSA sort out disputes about parentage?
A. We have three ways, these are:
- presumed parentage (we are entitled, by law, in certain situations to presume someone is the parent of a child)
- DNA testing
- referring the dispute to a court to make a decision in cases where the child was born as a result of fertility treatment.
Q. When can the CSA presume parentage?
A.. The most common situations in which we can presume someone is the parent of a child are:
- they were married to the child's mother at any time between the conception and the birth of the child
- they refuse to take a DNA test
- they are named as a parent on the child's birth certificate.
Q. If someone is proved not to be the parent of the child will they get a refund for any child maintenance they've paid?
A. Yes. If a person, who pays child maintenance to us to pass on to the parent with care, is proved not to be the parent of the child, we will refund those payments in full.
Once we have made a calculation, the person named as the parent of the child will have to pay child maintenance until they provide proof that they are not the actual parent.
Q. How much does a DNA test cost?
A. The full fee for testing three people (two adults and one child) is £281.05.
If the person named as the parent of the child pays when they return their appointment form, they can pay a discounted rate available through Cellmark, a company we use to carry out DNA tests. Currently, the discounted rate is £215.69.
Q. Does the CSA make money from DNA testing?
A. No money goes to the CSA.
Q. Who pays for DNA testing?
A. We expect the person named as the parent of the child to pay for the test.
If the test result shows that they are not the child's parent, we will give them their money back and we will cover the cost of the test.
Q. Can people arrange their own DNA testing?
A. Yes. Either person can arrange for a private DNA test. However, we will only accept the results of a private test if we are satisfied that:
- the test has been carried out by a DNA-testing company which has been approved for use when courts need DNA tests (Find a list of these companies here)
- the security arrangements meet acceptable standards
- all those involved are satisfied that the test was carried out properly
- the test was based on DNA samples from the person named as the parent of the child, the parent with care and the child.
