Child Maintenance- attached to cost of living index?

flowerbudsinmay

Hi all, 
As we all know, cost of living has gone up a lot this year and it’s getting more difficult to pay the bills. I have two children that I receive child maintenance for, from their father, through the CMS. As the cost of living has gone up so much, is there likely to be an increase in the child maintenance payments with this. I know it’s generally based on what the non resident parent earns but these figures surely also link to affordability of day to day living too? Please let me know if you are aware of anything. 

ZaSa1418

There haven't been any announcements the calculations will change so would assume no changes 

flowerbudsinmay

Thanks ZaSa1418. Appreciate the response!

Twixty3

The CMS have not given Non resident parents any cost of living nor inflationary increase since 1998.  That’s 24 years ago!

So we now have a situation where CMS conflicts with the benefit system for them if they are on low incomes but people are now paying attention so much so that the National Audit Office says -

NAO accept that there is an affordability issue and make an unprecedented recommendation to review legislation. 

jefaz07

Child maintenance is essentially the money a child would benefit from if the NRP lived there. If the NRP lived there and all bills were going up the child(ren) would benefit from less money, unless there was a pay rise. Which is the bit that is factored in.