In most cases, from 12 April 2010, any income that you receive from child maintenance payments is not included as income when calculating tax credits or when calculating benefits.

The few exceptions to this rule are that some local authorities include it when calculating entitlement to Council Tax Support and it may be included for Universal Credit claims if you opened your child maintenance case before March 2003.

Note that spousal maintenance payments - payments that are not for children - are not included in this category and should be entered in the 'spousal maintenance payments' section of the 'net income' page.