If you fall behind on your child support payments a “liability order” could be issued by the courts. The government introduced this measure in 2015 to deter parents from falling too far behind on their payments to the Child Maintenance Service.

Will unpaid child support payments appear on my credit file?

The government pledged to share with credit reference agencies the child maintenance records of any parents who fall so deep into arrears that a liability order is issued.

If this happens to you, the liability order will appear on your credit file and could remain there for up to 7 years.

Will unpaid child support payments affect my ability to get a loan?

If you have been given a liability order, it will appear on your credit file and this will harm your credit score and therefore your ability to be approved for a loan or other financial products.

To some extent, you can offset the black mark that a liability order creates through sensible borrowing and you may find that some loans are still available to you.

However, your credit score and ability to access the best financial products will be much healthier if you avoid these liability orders.

If you’re able to keep up with your child support payments or only fall into slight arrears, this will have no impact on your credit score or your ability to get a loan.

• Keep up with your child support payments
• Seek advice from the MoneyHelper if you’re falling behind on these payments
• Pay your liability order as soon as possible to avoid further penalties

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The bottom line

Although parents failing to pay child maintenance remains a noteworthy problem in the UK, it remains rare for a parent to fall so behind that they are issued with a liability order. A liability order on your credit record could cause serious damage to your financial capabilities.