The collection fee
3.—(1) A collection fee is payable to the Department by—
(a)the non-resident parent; and
(b)the person with care,
in relation to a case where there are arrangements for collection.
(2) The amount of the collection fee payable by a non-resident parent in respect of each day is—
(a)subject to sub-paragraph (b), 20% of the daily amount;
(b)where there is more than one person with care in relation to that non-resident parent, in respect of each person with care, 20% of the alternative daily amount.
(3) The amount of the collection fee payable by a person with care is 4% of any payment of child support maintenance in relation to which there are arrangements for collection, which the Department has collected and which would otherwise be paid to that person.
(4) In this regulation—
“alternative daily amount” means the alternative weekly amount divided by 7;
“alternative weekly amount” means the weekly amount of child support maintenance that the non-resident parent is liable to pay in respect of the person with care in question and in relation to which there are arrangements for collection;
“daily amount” means the weekly amount divided by 7;
“weekly amount” means the weekly amount of child support maintenance that the non-resident parent is liable to pay and in relation to which there are arrangements for collection.
(5) Where a calculation carried out under this regulation results in a fraction of a penny, that is to be treated as a penny if it is either one half or exceeds one half, and otherwise it is to be disregarded.
(6) For the purposes of this regulation, there are arrangements for collection where the Department is making arrangements in accordance with paragraph (7) to collect child support maintenance under Article 29(1) of the Child Support Order(1) and the payments of child support maintenance are transmitted through the Department.
(7) Arrangements for the collection of child support maintenance payable may be made where—
(a)the non-resident parent agrees to the arrangements; or
(b)the Department is satisfied that without the arrangements child support maintenance is unlikely to be paid in accordance with the calculation.
Article 29(1) was amended by section 1(2)(a) of the 2000 Act and Schedule 5 to the Child Maintenance Act (Northern Ireland) 2008