UK Act of Parliament 1991 c. 48 United Kingdom

Child Support Act 1991

Read the Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Status
In Force
Penalty ceiling
Prosecution 1 of 5 obligations carry a fine up to £1,000. 4 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Any Person3 Employer2

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts
Employer — also bound by 682 other Acts
TULRCA 1992 72 duties

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

s.031 Deduction from earnings orders. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Employers must deduct child support from earnings when orderedEmployer
s.032 Regulations about deduction from earnings orders. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Fail to comply with a child support deduction from earnings orderEmployer

Fine up to £1,000

s.032 Orders for regular deductions from accounts Regulated
  • Deposit-takers must comply with child support deduction ordersAny Person
s.032 Orders under sections 32E and 32F: freezing of accounts etc. Regulated
  • Comply with freezing orders under sections 32E and 32FAny Person
s.032 Orders under section 32F: deductions and payments Regulated
  • Pay child support deductions from accounts or earnings as orderedAny Person
104 other provisions — procedural and definitional
s.001 The duty to maintain. (opens in a new tab)
s.002 Welfare of children: the general principle. (opens in a new tab)
s.003 Meaning of certain terms used in this Act. (opens in a new tab)
s.004 Child support maintenance. (opens in a new tab)
s.005 Child support maintenance: supplemental provisions. (opens in a new tab)
s.006 Applications by those claiming or receiving benefit. (opens in a new tab)
s.007 Right of child in Scotland to apply for calculation. (opens in a new tab)
s.008 Role of the courts with respect to maintenance for children. (opens in a new tab)
s.009 Agreements about maintenance. (opens in a new tab)
s.010 Relationship between maintenance calculations and certain court orders and related matters. (opens in a new tab)
s.011 Maintenance calculations. (opens in a new tab)
s.012 Default and interim maintenance decisions. (opens in a new tab)
s.013 Child support officers. (opens in a new tab)
s.014 Information required by Secretary of State. (opens in a new tab)
s.014 Information—offences.
s.015 Powers of inspectors. (opens in a new tab)
s.015 Inspectors: warrants authorising entry
s.016 Revision of decisions (opens in a new tab)
s.017 Decisions superseding earlier decisions (opens in a new tab)
s.018 Reviews of decisions of child support officers. (opens in a new tab)
s.019 Reviews at instigation of child support officers. (opens in a new tab)
s.020 Appeals to First-tier Tribunal. (opens in a new tab)
s.020 Lapse of appeals.
s.021 Child support appeal tribunals. (opens in a new tab)
s.022 Child Support Commissioners. (opens in a new tab)
s.023 Child Support Commissioners for Northern Ireland. (opens in a new tab)
s.023 Redetermination of appeals.
s.024 Appeals to Upper Tribunal (opens in a new tab)
s.025 Appeal from Child Support Commissioner on question of law. (opens in a new tab)
s.026 Disputes about parentage. (opens in a new tab)
s.027 Applications for declaration of parentage under Family Law Act 1986. (opens in a new tab)
s.027 Recovery of fees for scientific tests.
s.028 Power of Secretary of State to initiate or defend actions of declarator: Scotland. (opens in a new tab)
s.028 Application for variation of usual rules for calculating maintenance.
s.028 Preliminary consideration of applications.
s.028 Imposition of regular payments condition.
s.028 Determination of applications.
s.028 Matters to be taken into account.
s.028 Agreement to a variation.
s.028 Variations: revision and supersession.
s.028 Departure directions: decisions and appeals
s.028 Transitional provisions.
s.028 Voluntary payments.
s.028 Decisions involving issues that arise on appeal in other cases
s.028 Appeals involving issues that arise on appeal in other cases
s.028 Restrictions on liability in certain cases of error
s.028 Correction of errors and setting aside of decisions
s.029 Collection of child support maintenance. (opens in a new tab)
s.030 Collection and enforcement of other forms of maintenance. (opens in a new tab)
s.032 Orders under section 32A: joint accounts
s.032 Regulations about orders under section 32A
s.032 Orders under section 32A: offences
s.032 Lump sum deductions: interim orders
s.032 Lump sum deductions: final orders
s.032 Power to disapply sections 32G(1) and (2) and 32H(2)(b) and (4)(b)
s.032 Regulations about orders under section 32E or 32F
s.032 Lump sum deduction orders: offences
s.032 Orders preventing avoidance
s.033 Liability orders. (opens in a new tab)
s.034 Regulations about liability orders. (opens in a new tab)
s.035 Enforcement of liability orders by taking control of goods. (opens in a new tab)
s.036 Enforcement in county courts. (opens in a new tab)
s.037 Regulations about liability orders: Scotland. (opens in a new tab)
s.038 Enforcement of liability orders by diligence: Scotland. (opens in a new tab)
s.039 Liability orders: enforcement throughout United Kingdom. (opens in a new tab)
s.039 Commitment to prison and disqualification from driving.
s.039 Disqualification for holding or obtaining United Kingdom passport
s.039 Period for which orders under section 39B are to have effect
s.039 Power to order search
s.039 Variation and revocation of orders following payment
s.039 Power to make supplementary provision
s.039 Application of sections 39B and 39F to Scotland
s.040 Commitment to prison. (opens in a new tab)
s.040 Commitment to prison: Scotland.
s.040 Disqualification from driving: further provision.
s.041 Arrears of child support maintenance. (opens in a new tab)
s.041 Penalty payments.
s.041 Repayment of overpaid child support maintenance.
s.041 Power to treat liability as satisfied
s.041 Power to accept part payment of arrears in full and final satisfaction
s.041 Power to write off arrears
s.042 Special cases. (opens in a new tab)
s.043 Recovery of child support maintenance by deduction from benefit. (opens in a new tab)
s.043 Recovery of arrears from deceased's estate
s.044 Jurisdiction. (opens in a new tab)
s.045 Jurisdiction of courts in certain proceedings under this Act. (opens in a new tab)
s.046 Reduced benefit decisions. (opens in a new tab)
s.046 Finality of decisions
s.046 Matters arising as respects decisions
s.047 Fees. (opens in a new tab)
s.048 Right of audience. (opens in a new tab)
s.049 Right of audience: Scotland. (opens in a new tab)
s.049 Disclosure of information to credit reference agencies
s.050 Unauthorised disclosure of information. (opens in a new tab)
s.050 Use of computers
s.051 Supplementary powers to make regulations. (opens in a new tab)
s.051 Pilot schemes
s.052 Regulations and orders. (opens in a new tab)
s.053 Financial provisions. (opens in a new tab)
s.054 Interpretation. (opens in a new tab)
s.055 Meaning of “child”. (opens in a new tab)
s.056 Corresponding provision for and co-ordination with Northern Ireland. (opens in a new tab)
s.057 Application to Crown. (opens in a new tab)
s.058 Short title, commencement and extent, etc. (opens in a new tab)
Schedules

Schedules

0 of 65 shown
65 other schedules
s.sch001 (1) Subject to paragraph 5A, the weekly rate of child...
s.sch001 (1) For the purposes of this Schedule, gross weekly income...
s.sch001 (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that—...
s.sch001 The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that, in...
s.sch001 (1) References in this Part of this Schedule to “qualifying...
s.sch001 (1) A maintenance calculation shall take effect on such date...
s.sch001 Every maintenance calculation shall be made in such form and...
s.sch001 The Secretary of State may by regulations provide—
s.sch001 Where the Secretary of State is satisfied that the circumstances...
s.sch001 (1) A maintenance calculation shall cease to have effect—
s.sch001 (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), the basic rate is the...
s.sch001 (1) A reduced rate is payable if—
s.sch001 (1) Except in a case falling within sub-paragraph (2), a...
s.sch001 The rate payable is nil if the non-resident parent—
s.sch001 (1) This paragraph applies where— (a) the non-resident parent is...
s.sch001 (1) If the non-resident parent has more than one qualifying...
s.sch001 (1) This paragraph applies where the rate of child support...
s.sch001 (1) This paragraph applies only if— (a) the rate of...
s.sch001 (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide—
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies where the Secretary of State or...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies to any information which—
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies where— (a) the Secretary of State...
s.sch002 In this Schedule “Revenue and Customs official” has the same...
s.sch003 (1) The person appointed . . . as President of...
s.sch003 (1) A child support appeal tribunal shall consist of a...
s.sch003 (1) The chairman of a child support appeal tribunal shall...
s.sch003 (1) The Lord Chancellor may appoint regional and other full-time...
s.sch003 (1) The members of a child support appeal tribunal other...
s.sch003 (1) Each child support appeal tribunal shall be serviced by...
s.sch003 (1) The Secretary of State may pay—
s.sch003 Before exercising any of his powers under paragraph 3(3) or...
s.sch004 (1) Every Child Support Commissioner for Northern Ireland shall vacate...
s.sch004 (1) The Department of Justice shall pay, or make such...
s.sch004 (1) The Lord Chancellor or, in Scotland, the Secretary of...
s.sch004 A Child Support Commissioner for Northern Ireland, so long as...
s.sch004 (1) The Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission may appoint persons...
s.sch004 (1) The Lord Chancellor may by regulations provide—
s.sch004 (1) If it appears to the Chief Child Support Commissioner...
s.sch004 (1) Subject to section 25, the decision of any Child...
s.sch004 Before exercising any of his powers under paragraph 1(3) ,...
s.sch004 In its application to Northern Ireland this Schedule shall have...
s.sch004a In this Schedule, “regulations” means regulations made by the Secretary...
s.sch004a Regulations may make provision— (a) as to the procedure to...
s.sch004a Regulations may provide for determining when the preliminary consideration of...
s.sch004a If any information which is required (by regulations under this...
s.sch004a (1) Regulations may provide for two or more applications for...
s.sch004b (1) The cases in which a variation may be agreed...
s.sch004b (1) A variation applied for by a non-resident parent may...
s.sch004b (1) A variation may be agreed in the circumstances set...
s.sch004b (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe other...
s.sch004b (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision...
s.sch004b The Secretary of State may by regulations provide for the...
s.sch004c Section 16 shall apply in relation to—
s.sch004c (1) Section 17 shall apply in relation to—
s.sch004c (1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), section 20 shall...
s.sch004c (1) Section 28ZA shall also apply where—
s.sch004c (1) Section 28ZB shall also apply where—
s.sch004c (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, section 28ZC shall also...
s.sch005 In paragraph 9 of Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland...
s.sch005 (1) The House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 shall be...
s.sch005 (1) In Part I of Schedule 1 to the Northern...
s.sch005 In section 4 (amount of aliment) of the Family Law...
s.sch005 (1) The Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985 shall be amended as...
s.sch005 In section 281(5)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (effect of...
s.sch005 (1) The Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 shall be amended as...

Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.