Child Maintenance for over 16

[Loulabella3]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help. I recently let CMS know that my eldest daughter has left college and started a degree apprenticeship in Sept 2025. I have two other daughters on my case. CMS have reduced my maintenance (which I expected) but reduced the amount significantly as they say that my eldest ceased to be eligible for child benefit in 2022! I have contacted Child Benefit and they have no record of her! Basically, even though I have shared documentation with CMS that proves my daughter only completed her A-levels this summer- they have reject my request for reconsideration based on the child benefit eligibility.

I don't actually receive child benefit and I can't recall getting a letter asking to prove she was staying in full time education as I did my middle daughter. She simply seems to be missing- Child Benefit have no record of her even in their archives (they only think I have 2 daughters, not 3!!!!). I am completely stuck My maintenance has dropped massively by being backdated on something that simply isn't true. I cannot believe that when she was born in 2005 we wouldn't have registered her as it wasn't means tested then- you basically got a child benefit amount whatever income you earned.

Side note- not in contact with my ex-husband and he wouldn't help in any case as he is now having to pay a much lower amount. Is anyone able to help please?
Thanks so much

I’d chase up child benefit people first, try and get them to confirm they have made an error. Do you have payments in you bank from before she stopped being eligible that show it was 3 children not 2?

You must challenge the CMS decision urgently. They are wrong to say you weren't entitled to it. Child Benefit is irrelevant. Many parents earn too much to claim CB and they are still entitled to a CMS assessment.

Ask for a Mandatory Reassessment and if that fails appeal to the Tribunal.

Child maintenance have a really crap gap in their system related to the introduction of the high income child benefit charge.
Their system uses the child benefit records to show eligibility but they've not adjusted it for cases where people don't claim due to their income being over the threshold. If you send in proof they were in full time education they will reassess it...you just need to say you're affected by the high income charge.