Glossary

Here are some of the words and phrases that we use most frequently and what they mean.

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Alleged non-resident parent

This is someone who is named on a maintenance application form as the non-resident parent, but who says that they are not the parent of the children for whom maintenance is claimed.

Appeal

This is the term applied to the process of appealing to an independent tribunal if one is not happy with a decision received from the Child Support Agency.

Application for Child Maintenance

An application for a child maintenance calculation can be completed by:

the person with care
the non-resident parent or
a qualifying child of 12 or over who lives in Scotland.

This process will be mainly completed by telephone without the need to fill in forms.

Assessment Unit

This is the name given to a group of people to whom the assessment relates. It normally includes the Parent/Person With Care, the Non-Resident Parent and the Qualifying Child(ren).

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Child

For child support purposes someone is a child if they are:

under 16; or
between 16 and 19 and in full time, non-advanced education. This is doing a course that is not higher than A level standard

Calculation

This is when we work out how much child maintenance must be paid. It is also called a child maintenance calculation and a maintenance calculation.

Case Check

This is a review of the child support case conducted from time to time. It will take into account all changes in the circumstances of all parties involved.

Child Maintenance Premium

The child maintenance premium allows a person with care who is on Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance to keep up to £10 per week of any maintenance paid. If maintenance payments are less than £10 a week, a person with care keeps all of the maintenance paid.

Child Support Agency

Part of the Department for Work and Pensions, responsible for the calculation, collection and payment of child support maintenance under the Child Support Acts of 1991.

Child Support Agency Centre

Main regional processing site where maintenance calculations are made.

Child Support Maintenance

The correct term for maintenance awarded under the Child Support Act 1991, this is often called 'Child Maintenance'.

Child Maintenance Enquiry

This is completed by the non resident parent and can usually be dealt with mainly by telephone.

Child Support Officer

Child Support Officers are the people who decide whether child maintenance must be paid, and if so how much must be paid.

Child Support Reform

The new Child Supportscheme came into effect for new cases from 3 March 2003. Existing cases will transfer to the new scheme when the Government is sure the arrangements for new cases are working well. We will write to you to explain when your child support maintenance will change and what this means for you. Until then your present child support maintenance will remain unchanged by the introduction of the new scheme.

Client Help Line

Telephone enquiry lines for queries about your case.

Client

Our clients are parents with care, persons with care and non-resident parents.

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Deduction from Earnings Order

If an employed person fails to pay their maintenance the Child Support Agency can order their employer to make deductions direct from their pay. For customers in the UK Armed Forces this is known as a 'Deduction from Earnings Request'.

Default Maintenance Decision

This is a decision made when the information needed to work out maintenance cannot be obtained straightaway.

(Deoxyribonucleic Acid) DNA testing

This is a test of the genetic characteristics of the parties involved and it is used to establish parentage of child(ren) in cases where there may be some doubt.

Department for Work and Pensions

The Government Department responsible for the administration of the UK Social Security policies/legislation. The Department is broken down into a number of parts with their own fields of responsibility.

Direct Payment

Where maintenance is paid straight into a bank or building society, or Post Office® card account.

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Effective Date

Date from which the NRP's initial or revised payment is due.

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Face to Face

This is the name given to the network of Child Support Agency staff based in local offices around the country who are available to conduct interviews on a 'face-to-face' basis.

Field Office

Local Child Support Agency offices based around the country - see also Local Service Bases.

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Good cause

Good cause means that there would be a risk of harm or undue distress to the parent with care or the children if the Child Support Agency tried to arrange child maintenance. Parents with care who think that this may apply to them should tell the staff at their Jobcentre Plus (benefits) office.

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Independent Case Examiner

The Independent Case Examiner provides impartial investigation into complaints about the way that the Child Support Agency has handled a customer's case.

Initial Payment Period

This is the period between the Effective Date of the Assessment and the date that the first maintenance payment becomes due.

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Jobcentre Plus

Part of the Department for Work and Pensions, responsible for the payment and administration of UK State Benefits.

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Local Service Bases

Local Child Support Agency offices around the country where the Face to Face service is administered.

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Maintenance Calculation

This is when we work out how much child maintenance must be paid, it is also referred to as a 'child maintenance calculation'.

Maintenance Direct

When the non-resident parent pays child maintenance straight to the person with care, rather than through the Agency.

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National Helpline

Telephone enquiry line for general queries about child support.

National Insurance Number

This is a reference number issued by the UK Department for Work and Pensions to people in order to conduct the business of the Department and also the UK Tax Office. It is unique to the individual to whom it has been assigned

Non-resident parent

This is a parent who lives in a separate household from the parent with care and qualifying child(ren) for whom they are liable to pay maintenance under the Child Support Act. Where parents have shared care, the parent who has the children for the shorter period is regarded as the non-resident parent. If the children spend an equal number of nights with each parent then the non-resident parent is the one who is not getting Child Benefit for the children.

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Parent with care

Means a parent (natural or adoptive) who lives in the same household as the child(ren) for whom maintenance is sought.

Person with care

Somebody other than a parent who has day-to-day care of the child(ren) for whom maintenance is sought.

Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

Ombudsman - investigates complaints (which must referred on behalf of individuals by MPs) about injustice caused by maladministration by government departments.

Partner

By Partner we mean a person you are married to, a civil partner of, or live with as if you are married or civil partners.

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Qualifying Child

This is a child for whom Child Support Maintenance is payable under the Child Support Act.

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Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders - or REMO

Is the process by which maintenance orders made by UK courts on behalf of UK residents can be registered and enforced by courts or other authorities in other countries against people resident there.

Relevant other child(ren)

Children who live with the non-resident parent and for whom the non-resident parent or their partner receives child benefit.

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Satellite Processing Centre

This is effectively a mini Child Support Agency Centre in one of the field offices and it processes case work similar to the teams at the Child Support Agency Centre.

Shared Care

If care of the qualifying children is split between the parents and the non-resident parent has care of them for 52 nights or more per year, then they are said to have 'shared care'. This can have an effect on the amount of child maintenance that has to be paid.

Supersession

This is a review of the child support case intended to take into account a particular change/changes in somebody's circumstances.

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Variation

Sometimes the child maintenance due can take into account exceptional circumstances that are outside the basic rules. This is called a variation.