What is my protected income in relation to the CSA?

June 10, 2008

When the child support agency are calculating how much you have to pay for maintenance to your child or children, they’ll add on any arrears they think you owe as well. This could mean that if you have three children, you may end up paying far more than the 25% of your income that you’re supposed to pay. This figure can only rise as high as 40% however, as you have what the CSA call a ‘protected income’.

This means that 60% of your income is protected for yourself, so will go to you. They can take as much as 40% from you, and will if necessary get a DEO (deduction from earnings order) to have 40% removed directly from your pay by your employer.

For many people, having 40% of their income deducted from them by the child support agency means they don’t have enough to live on, as expenses such as your mortgage, rent, car, tax, bills, food and the like are not taken into consideration. The child support agency are only concerned with money you have already paid to your children, or are paying to have access to them. You of course need to prove this as well with receipts.

So, your protected income is 60%, means you can have as much as 40% of your pay taken from you, but no more than that.

Comments

  • Julian Glass says:

    Is it gross income or net income? If my salary is £2000 per month and my Net Pay (after Tax and NI) is say £1606 is my Protected Pay £1200 (60% of £2000) or £963.60 (60% of £1606)

    Thank you

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