BrightMCR toolkit
Maintenance Income Checker
Will the panel actually count spousal / child maintenance as income? Rules of thumb across three mainstream lenders — with a downloadable summary.
Panel verdict
Lender A
Court Order or CSA/CMS, 3+ months' evidence, consistent payments and child under 16 — accepted.
Lender B
This lender requires a sealed Court Order — CSA/CMS alone is not sufficient.
Lender C
Court Order or CSA/CMS, 3+ months' evidence and consistent payments — accepted.
What to do
Maintenance can be included by at least one lender — worth c. £4,800/yr of income.
- Some mainstream lenders will not accept CSA/CMS alone — a sealed Court Order widens the panel and improves rate options.
- Keep clean bank statements showing every maintenance receipt — mainstream lenders typically require 3–6 months of evidence.