Qualifying Children
Qualifying Children are the number of children the NRP must pay Child Support for.
Relevant Other Children
The number of Relevant Other Children affects the calculation of Child Support. A ‘Relevant Other Child’ (or ‘Relevant Child’) is the term used by the CMS for a child, other than a Qualifying Child, for whom the NRP or their partner, receives Child Benefit. Shared Care, Boarding school, and other factors, may affect this.
Relevant Non-Resident Children
The number of Relevant Non-Resident Children affects the calculation of Child Support. ‘Relevant Non-Resident Child’ is a term used by the CMS to refer to a child of the NRP for whom an application for Child Support cannot be made because the NRP is liable to pay maintenance for them under a maintenance order, an order of a non-British court or under the legislation of a country outside the UK.
This is a child that would be considered a ‘Qualifying Child’ if an application for Child Support could not be made for them. It includes a child who does not live with the NRP and a child whose care is shared between the NRP and someone else.
When working out the Basic and Reduced Rate of Child Support, (including if payable after a variation), a Relevant Non-Resident Child counts as a Qualifying Child, even though no amount of Child Support is paid for them.
The amount of Child Support calculated is divided by the total number of Qualifying Children, including any Relevant Non-Resident Children. This amount is then multiplied by the number of Qualifying Children, excluding any Relevant Non-Resident Children. This gives the amount of Child Support the NRP must pay.
Reductions for Qualifying, Relevant Non-Resident & Relevant Other Children
The Basic Rate is a percentage of the NRPs gross weekly income, depending on the number of qualifying children, including the number of any relevant non-resident children they have.
If the NRP has other children living with them, their gross income is reduced by a certain percentage before the basic rate is calculated.
The percentages used to reduce the gross weekly income are shown below:
Basic rate; reduction in gross income for relevant other children
Number of relevant other children | Percentage by which gross income is reduced |
One | 11% |
Two | 14% |
Three | 16% |
Basic rate percentages
Number of qualifying children (including relevant non-resident children) | Percentage of gross income up to £800 | Percentage of gross income above £800 |
One | 12% | 9% |
Two | 16% | 12% |
Three or more | 19% | 15% |
Further examples of calculations can be found by clicking here.
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