Child support overview

Here's an overview of what child support is, who can get it, and how it works.

What child support is

Child support is money paid by parents who do not live with their children, or who share care with someone else. The money is to help with the cost of raising a child.

The parent who makes the child support payments is called the liable or paying parent. The parent or other person who receives the child support payments is called the receiving carer.

A receiving carer who is not the child's parent is also called a non-parent carer. For example, a grandparent, friend or other family member.

Child support is not Working for Families

Child support is different from Working for Families, which is payments from the government to help support your family. If you are separated from the other parent, you may be able to get Working for Families and child support at the same time.

Working for Families

Types of child support

There are several ways to set up child support in New Zealand.

• Private agreements, where you decide the amount and manage payments without us being involved. 
• Voluntary agreements, where you decide the amount and register it with us, and we collect the payments and pass them on.
• Formula assessments, where you apply, and we work out the amount and who pays it, collect the payments and pass them on. If the child lives with each parent some of the time, we may not know who pays who until after you have applied.
• Court orders, where your amount is set by the Family Court. The court sends us the order and we collect the payments and pass them on.

If you get an Unsupported Child's Benefit, you'll need to apply for a formula assessment for that child.

Types of child support

Who can get child support

For us to manage your formula assessment or voluntary agreement, you need to meet these requirements.

• To receive payments, you need to have a child living with you for at least 35% of the time (about 5 nights a fortnight) - for formula assessments only. 
• To make payments, you need to be the parent, and a New Zealand citizen or resident, or live in a country we have a child support agreement with. (For example, Australia.) For formula assessments only, you must not be in a relationship and living with the person you're paying child support to.
• The child needs to meet certain requirements, for example, be under 18 (or 18 and still at school), and dependent on you. They also need to be a New Zealand citizen or resident.

Here is the full list of requirements for the carer, paying parent and child.

Can you get child support?
If 1 parent lives overseas

How payments work 

Child support payments are always due on the 20th of the following month, and we can only pass on what we receive from the paying parent. 

Payment cycles and due dates
Paying parents - child support payments
Receiving carers - child support payments