Single Parents Child Benefits

If you are bringing up a child alone you may be entitled to some financial help.

What Is The Child Support Agency?

If you are bringing up a child who has a parent living somewhere else in the UK or working abroad for a UK based employer, the other parent is legally responsible for providing financial support for their child. 

The Child Support Agency (CSA) calculates and collects maintenance from parents who do not live with their child(ren.) The amount they are able to collect depends on the income of the parent who does not live with the child(ren). The Child Support Agency usually collects payment if the parent with care of the child is receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. Otherwise the Child Support Agency will only get involved if either parent asks them to.

What is Child Maintenance Bonus?

From March 2003 the Child Support Agency began to calculate maintenance differently. To begin with, the new scheme has been introduced for new clients, and for some old scheme clients linked to a new scheme case. Existing cases will be transferred when the government is sure that the new scheme is working well.

Who Might Be Eligible For Child Maintenance Bonus?

You may be able to get a single payment of up to £1,000 if

• you receive child maintenance under the old scheme, and leave benefit because you have started work,
• increased the number of hours you already work,
• the amount you earn has increased. Child maintenance includes payment decided by a court order or the Child Support Agency and voluntary payments.

Ask at the Jobcentre Plus that paid your benefits about Child Maintenance Bonus. You must claim within twenty eight days of your benefit stopping.

What Is Lone Parents Benefit Run-on?

If you have been getting:

• Income Support, Minimum Income Guarantee or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance for at least twenty six weeks and

  have been a lone parent for those twenty six weeks

• started work or increased the number of hours you work so that you now work sixteen hours a week or more
• started full-time work that you expect to last for five weeks or more then you may get Lone Parents Benefit Run-on. 

This is where you can get financial help, such as continuing benefit, until you are paid from your job. You don’t need to claim but you do need to tell the office that was paying your benefit straight away if you are starting work.

How Do I Apply?

The Child Support Agency usually only look into a specific case when requested to do so. If you decide you would like their intervention they can be contacted on 0845 7 133 133.

The line is open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, Monday to Friday and 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, Saturday.

I Made An Application, Now My Situation Has Changed. What Should I Do?

The person with care should contact the CSA immediately if

• the number of qualifying children changes
• the number of relevent other children changes

What Is The Freedom Of Information Act?

Under the Freedom Of Information Act 2000, anybody may request information from a public authority which has functions in England, Wales and/or Northern Ireland. The Act confers two statutory rights on CSA applicants:-

• To be told whether or not the public authority holds that information; and if so
• To have that information communicated to them

These rights were conferred on January 1st 2005