A client of mine — let’s call her Priya, because she’d rather I didn’t use her real name — once got a furious text from her ex asking why she expected him to “pay double” when he’d just started his CMS payments. What had actually happened was their daughter needed new football boots for a club trip, and Priya assumed maintenance covered it. He assumed it didn’t. Neither of them was being unreasonable — they just genuinely didn’t know where the line sat. That confusion is more common than either parent usually admits, so let’s settle it properly.
What Does Child Maintenance Cover?
Standard CMS child maintenance is built to cover a child’s everyday living costs — the ongoing, unglamorous stuff:
- Food and general groceries
- A contribution toward housing costs (rent/mortgage share attributable to the child)
- Everyday clothing
- Basic transport and general day-to-day essentials
It’s meant to be a steady contribution toward the baseline cost of raising a child in the home where they live most of the time — not a fund for anything specific beyond that.
What Does CMS Not Cover?
This is the list that trips people up, and it’s longer than most parents expect:
- Private school fees
- University or further education costs
- Extracurricular activities — sports clubs, music lessons, dance classes
- School trips, residential trips, or one-off school costs
- Larger one-off items, like a laptop, a bike, or a school uniform overhaul
- Childcare costs while a parent works
- Medical costs not covered by the NHS (private dental, glasses, etc.)
None of these are automatically split or covered by the CMS calculation. If they’re going to be shared, that has to happen through a separate agreement — either informally between parents, or in some cases through the family court if there’s a dispute and the sums involved are significant (this comes up more with private school fees than anything else).
If I Pay Child Maintenance, Should I Pay for Anything Else?
Legally? Not automatically. The CMS figure is designed to be the full statutory obligation on its own. But here’s what I’ve noticed working with actual families rather than just the legal theory: most functional co-parenting arrangements end up splitting at least some extras informally anyway, because it’s simply what keeps things running smoothly.
Mark, another parent I worked with, pays standard CMS maintenance and separately covers half his son’s football club fees — not because he’s required to, but because he and his ex agreed it privately after a few honest conversations. That’s the norm I see most often: statutory maintenance as the floor, with a private, flexible top-up for the things that matter to that specific family.
Where there’s no agreement and no goodwill, extras generally stay the responsibility of whoever incurs them — which is exactly the kind of standoff that leads to resentment on both sides if it’s never discussed openly.
Child Maintenance Expenses: What Usually Gets Split Privately
From what comes up again and again in the families I’ve supported, these are the “extras” that most commonly get informally shared, even though CMS doesn’t require it:
- School trips and residential visits
- Uniform costs at the start of a school year
- Birthday and Christmas gifts
- Extracurricular club or lesson fees
- A portion of childcare during school holidays
None of this is law — it’s just pattern. Some parents split these 50/50, others proportionally to income, and some simply take turns covering different categories. There’s no wrong answer as long as both parents actually agree on it rather than assuming the other one will just handle it.
What Is the Biggest Factor in Calculating Child Support?
Worth restating here since it directly affects how much “room” a paying parent has left for extras: the paying parent’s gross weekly income drives the entire CMS calculation, adjusted by number of children, other dependents in the household, and shared care nights. It’s the single biggest lever in the formula — everything else nudges the figure up or down from that starting point.
How Much Should a Dad Pay for a Child?
This gets asked constantly, usually by someone hoping for a flat number. There isn’t one — it scales with income and number of children through the standard percentages (12% for one child, 16% for two, 19% for three or more, within the main income band). A dad earning £30,000 a year and one earning £70,000 a year will owe very different amounts for an identical single child, because the whole system is proportional, not flat.
How Much Is Child Maintenance for 1 Child?
As a rough range within the standard basic-rate band: 12% of gross weekly income, which at the lower end of that band (around £200/week income) works out to roughly £24 a week, rising to around £96 a week at the top of the band (£800/week income). Above that, the basic-plus rate applies a lower percentage to the remainder. For your specific number, the official CMS calculator on GOV.UK will give the exact figure based on your real circumstances.
Child Maintenance Payment Dates: When Does It Actually Land?
Once your case is set up, the CMS issues a payment schedule showing exactly when payments are due — this is agreed as either weekly or monthly, depending on what’s arranged. There are two main routes:
- Direct Pay: the paying parent transfers the money directly to the receiving parent, on the agreed schedule, with no CMS fees involved at all.
- Collect and Pay: the CMS collects from the paying parent and passes it on, which comes with a 20% surcharge added to what the paying parent owes, and a 4% deduction taken from what the receiving parent gets. This route is generally used when Direct Pay has broken down or one parent doesn’t want direct contact.
If you’re ever unsure whether a payment is late or missing, your online CMS account shows the payment history, so you’re not relying on memory or word of mouth.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming standard maintenance automatically covers school trips or clubs. It doesn’t — these are separate by default.
- Never discussing extras until a bill shows up. Most conflict here comes from assumption, not disagreement — talk about it before the football boots are needed.
- Paying extras informally with no record. Even a simple shared note of who paid what avoids arguments later.
- Switching to Collect and Pay without realising the fees. If Direct Pay is working, it’s genuinely the cheaper route for both parents.
- Assuming “how much should a dad pay” has a flat answer. It’s a percentage of income, not a set amount — comparing your figure to a friend’s is rarely a fair comparison unless incomes match exactly.
- Not checking the payment schedule after a change in circumstances. A recalculation changes the amount, not necessarily the payment date — check your account rather than assuming.
Final Thoughts
Priya and her ex eventually did sort it out — a five-minute phone call, an agreement to split extracurricular costs going forward, and a shared note on their phones for anything unusual. It wasn’t complicated once they actually talked about it instead of assuming. That’s really the heart of this whole topic: the CMS figure is a floor, not a ceiling, and almost every argument about “extras” comes down to two parents who never quite had the conversation about where that floor ends.
FAQ
What does CMS not cover?
Private school fees, university costs, extracurricular activities, school trips, childcare, and one-off large purchases — these sit outside the standard formula entirely.
What is the biggest factor in calculating child support?
The paying parent’s gross weekly income, which the rest of the formula adjusts based on number of children, other dependents, and shared care.
How much should a dad pay for a child?
It scales with income under the standard percentages (12% for one child within the basic rate band), rather than being a flat figure — two dads on different incomes will owe different amounts for the same single child.
If I pay child maintenance, should I pay for anything else?
Not legally required, but many co-parents privately agree to split extras like school trips or clubs, since standard maintenance doesn’t cover them.
Where can I find a child maintenance calculator?
The official calculator is on GOV.UK and uses your real income and care details — third-party calculators can only offer estimates.
What advice is there for fathers on child maintenance?
Understand that extras aren’t automatically included, keep records of any informal cost-sharing, and use Direct Pay where possible to avoid Collect and Pay fees.
What does child maintenance cover?
Everyday living costs — food, clothing, and a housing contribution — rather than specific extras like activities or one-off purchases.
What counts as a child maintenance expense beyond the standard payment?
School trips, uniform costs, extracurricular fees, gifts, and holiday childcare are the most common “extras” families split privately.
When are child maintenance payments due?
On the schedule the CMS sets after your calculation — weekly or monthly — shown in your online account, whether you use Direct Pay or Collect and Pay.
How much maintenance should a father pay per child?
It depends on gross income and the applicable rate band, not a flat per-child figure — the percentage is fixed, but the pound amount moves with earnings.
How much is child maintenance for 1 child?
Roughly £24–£96 a week within the standard basic rate band, depending on income, with different figures above and below that band.
Sarah Mitchell is a family law specialist with a strong background in child arrangements, custody disputes, and family mediation. She joined LegalFacts.uk to help parents across the UK understand their legal rights and make informed decisions for their children’s future.