Child Support Agency (CSA) Contact Number

Important: Calls to this number cost 7p per minute, plus your operator’s access charge. We will connect your call directly to the UK Government helpline. We are not associated with UK Government.

Call the CSA Contact Number

Call the CSA contact number for general information about the Child Support Agency. The helpline is available from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday. The CSA phone number is not available on Sundays or Bank Holidays, instead you can refer to the Child Maintenance website for the advice you require. This is not the official number as published on Government information websites, however you’ll still be connected directly through to the appropriate department.

Financial support is available to single or separated parents in the form of Child Maintenance payments. If you find yourself in this position then you should contact the Child Support Agency (or CSA for short) for general information on arranging Child Maintenance.

The CSA Contact number will connect you directly to the helpline to have your questions answered. If your child lives in your care then you may be entitled to financial contributions from the other parent. Fortunately, arranging Child Maintenance has never been easier.

Child Support Agency Contact NumberThis can be agreed mutually between both parents, or by using the CSA as an intermediary. In order to apply for Child Maintenance, you will need to Contact the CSA on telephone number 0800 083 5130 . From there your call can be transferred to your local office who will deal with your individual case or offer further guidance on how to proceed.

Alternative CSA Phone Numbers

If you struggle to get through on the above number you can try one of the below CSA telephone numbers:

Department Contact Number Opening Times
Customer Service 0843 515 9092 Monday to Friday 08:00 -20:00
Saturday 09:00 – 17:00
Official CSA Helpline 0345 713 3133 Monday to Friday 08:00 -20:00
Saturday 09:00 – 17:00
Textphone 0345 713 8924 Monday to Friday 08:00 -20:00
Saturday 09:00 – 17:00
CSA Welsh Language 0345 713 8091 Monday to Friday 08:00 -20:00

What is Child Maintenance?

The CSA also known as the Child Support Agency offer financial support in the form of Child Maintenance to help with everyday costs of caring for a child or children when you have separated from the other parent.

You aren’t required to use the CSA to organise and settle any financial payments between you and the other parent once you have separated, you may choose to do this privately and this is called a family-based arrangement. However the Child Maintenance Agency are available to support you when you and the other parent fail to reach an agreement.

In some situations you may need the CSA to help with issues such as; tracking down the other parent, helping to resolve disagreements between you and the other parent, work out how much child maintenance needs to be paid and to chase when payments aren’t made.

The Three Child Maintenance Schemes

There are currently three Child Maintenance schemes, the 1993, 2003 and 2012 schemes. Chances are if you have already been receiving payments you will be on one of the previous 1993 or 2003 schemes managed by the CSA.

Moving forward all new applications will be processed under the 2012 scheme and managed by the CMS (Child Maintenance Service). If you are on the previous 1993 and 2003 schemes you will more than likely remain on them, the CSA will contact you if they need you to do any differently.

Over time the older schemes will be phased out and everyone will be managed by the CMS, if you are required to switch you will be given 6 months to do so and everything will be managed by the CSA and CMS.

Am I eligible for Child Maintenance?

You may be eligible for Child Maintenance if you and your partner can’t come to a private financial agreement for the child (or children) involved in the separation. There are certain criteria that must be met in order to be considered by the CMS:

  • Children are under 16
  • Children are under 20 and in full time education (up to A-level only, not University)
  • Under 20, living with a parent who is claiming Child Benefit for them

Whoever the child or children live with full time is classed as the receiving parent and the parent who doesn’t have the day to day care or the child or children is classed as the paying parent. Payments will be taken from the paying parent and given to the receiving parent.

How much can I claim?

The amount of Child Maintenance you will receive from the paying parent will depend on individual circumstances and this will be discussed with you when you submit your application.

The Child Support Agency UK offer a highly useful Child Maintenance Calculator, to give you an idea of how much financial support you’re eligible for. If you’re having trouble tracing the other parent of your child, they can also help you to track them down. Maintenance payments can then be taken directly from their wage in order to assist with the daily costs of having a child. To be eligible your child must be under the age of 16, or under 20 and in full time education.

How is Child Maintenance paid?

There are several ways in which you can receive payments; they can be paid directly between parents, payments can be directly taken from the paying parents earnings (arranged by their employer) or they can be arranged by direct debit and paid directly into the receiving parents bank account (managed by the CMS).

If payments are managed for you and are collected from the receiving parents wage you will both incur small fee’s to handle these payments. Paying parents will pay a 20% fee on top of their maintenance payment and the receiving parent will pay a 4% fee which will be deducted from the maintenance payment.

What is a family-based arrangement?

A family-based arrangement is a financial agreement which is made privately between you and your partner, this is always encouraged by the Child Support Agency. Doing things this way will prevent you or your partner having to pay any fee’s.

Local CSA Offices

To register a new claim or inquire about an existing application with the Child Support Agency, you should call the CSA Contact Number on 0843 515 9092. Then, ask for your local office from the following 6 branches:

  • Belfast Office (Serving eastern England) – Child Support Agency Belfast, PO Box 30, Newtownabbey, BT58 1AF.
  • Birkenhead Office (Serving north west England) – Child Support Agency Birkenhead, PO Box 31, Chester, CH70 8DN.
  • Dudley (Serving the Midlands) – Child Support Agency Dudley, PO Box 36, Birmingham, B99 1DW.
  • Falkirk (Serving north east England and Scotland) – Child Support Agency Falkirk, PO Box 20, Edinburgh, EH91 5BD.
  • Hastings (Serving south east England) – Child Support Agency Hastings, PO Box 258, St Leonards-on-Sea, TN38 1GP.
  • Plymouth (Serving south west England) – Child Support Agency Plymouth, PO Box 43, Plymouth, PL95 8DL.

When you contact the CSA at your local office you should have your National Insurance number and date of birth to hand for identification. More proof of ID may be required so ensure you are ready before making the call. If you are unsure which office you should contact then you can use this form. By entering your postcode, your nearest depot will be displayed and this is most likely the branch to which your case will be assigned.

Call the CSA Contact Number for assistance with:

  • Calculating your Child Maintenance
  • What to do if the other parent doesn’t stick to agreed payments
  • Settling payment disagreements
  • Tracking the missing parent
  • Reviewing and enforcing payments
  • Reporting a change in circumstances
  • Complaints

UK Contact Number has provided this low cost telephone number as a cheaper, more reliable alternative to other premium rate numbers found in the public domain. You can be sure that your call will connect to the most qualified agent to assist with your CSA enquiries.

Should you require help or support with any matters you can’t answer online, then call the CSA Telephone Number during their opening hours listed above. If you like many others have been wondering how to contact the CSA, simply call the phone number on this page.

Calls to 0800 083 5130 cost 7p / minute plus your operator’s access charge. Call the CSA Contact Number today on 0800 083 5130 .