Child Maintenance Service collected almost £1.8 million of child maintenance due
Date published:
New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department for Communities (DfC) present information on the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) for the quarter ending March 2026.
Key findings
For the quarter ending March 2026:
- The CMS collected almost £1.8 million of child maintenance due through the Collect & Pay service.
- There were 920 applications to the CMS.
- The CMS was managing 19,200 cases.
- There were 26,070 children covered by child maintenance arrangements.
- 82% of parents due to pay child maintenance through the Collect & Pay service paid some maintenance.
- The CMS arranged more than £6.6 million in child maintenance through the Direct Pay service.
About this publication
This report presents an overview of the performance of the Child Maintenance Service in Northern Ireland. It contains information up to the quarter ending March 2026.
It relates to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) 2012 Scheme, which is for separated parents who cannot arrange child maintenance between themselves.
Further information
Read the full report: Northern Ireland Child Maintenance Service statistics: data to March 2026
View data tables and background information: Northern Ireland Child Maintenance Service statistics: data to March 2026 | Department for Communities