Damon Mcknight
The Child Support Scheme in Australia ensures that children of separated parents receive appropriate financial support. Services Australia delivers this scheme to separated parents and non-parent carers and is responsible for child support policy, legislation and assessment. To apply for a child support assessment, you must be the legal parent or non-parent carer of the child and meet residence rules. The easiest way to apply is online, and you may need to provide additional documents such as a Child Support statutory declaration.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Administering body | Services Australia |
| Who can apply | Legal parent or non-parent carer of the child |
| Eligibility requirements | Must meet residence rules |
| Payment management options | Self-management or Services Australia collection and transfer |
| Payment calculation | Based on the Child Support formula in Australian law |
| Required documents | Child Support statutory declaration and other supporting documents |
| Application method | Online application via myGov or Child Support online account |
| Contact | 131 272 |
| Scheme description | Ensures children of separated parents receive appropriate financial support |
| Scheme status | Subject to major reviews, reforms, and updates |
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What You'll Learn
Child Support Scheme
The Child Support Scheme ensures that children of separated parents receive appropriate financial support. Services Australia delivers the Child Support Scheme to separated parents and non-parent carers and is the decision-maker under child support law.
To be eligible for a child support assessment, you must be the legal parent or non-parent carer of the child and meet the residence rules. You can apply for a child support assessment online, which is the easiest way to apply. You will need to fill in the online Application for Child Support Assessment. If you live outside of Australia, you should use the International Application for an Australian Child Support Assessment form. You may also need to provide other documents to support your application, such as a Child Support statutory declaration. Services Australia will contact you if they need any additional information or documents from you.
Once your application has been accepted, you can set up a Child Support online account and link it to your myGov account. If you do not have a myGov account, you will need to create one. You can then use your myGov account to submit your form and supporting documents.
Child support payments are usually calculated using the child support formula, which takes various factors into account. Parents can make child support payments privately, or Services Australia can collect and transfer the payments on their behalf. If parents believe that the calculated amount is unfair in their circumstances, they can apply for a change of assessment.
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Child support assessment
Child support is money paid by one parent (the paying parent) to the other parent to help financially support their children. In Australia, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is responsible for assessing and collecting child support payments. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to apply for child support in Australia:
- Understanding the child support system: The Australian child support program is based on a formula that takes into account both parents' income, the number of children, their care arrangements, and other relevant factors. This formula is used to calculate the amount of child support to be paid.
- Eligibility: To be eligible for child support in Australia, you must meet certain
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Managing payments
Payment options
Child support payments can be made using one of the following methods:
Direct debit from a bank account
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Applying online
Applying for child support in Australia can be done online, and this is the easiest way to apply. Services Australia delivers the Child Support Scheme to separated parents and non-parent carers, and it is responsible for making decisions under child support law.
To apply for a child support assessment, you must be the legal parent or non-parent carer of the child and meet the residence rules. You can fill in the online application for a child support assessment, and if you live outside of Australia, you can use the international application form. You will need to submit supporting documents, such as a Child Support statutory declaration, and you will be contacted if anything further is required.
If you don't have a myGov account or a Child Support online account, you should still submit your application. Once your application has been accepted, you can create a Child Support online account and link it to myGov. If you already have a Child Support online account, you can sign in to submit your form and supporting documents.
You can also self-manage your child support payments, which means you and the other person will decide together how much, when, and how to pay. However, you may receive less Family Tax Benefit if you choose this option.
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Changing assessment
To change a child support assessment in Australia, you must be the legal parent or non-parent carer of the child and meet the residence rules. You can apply for a review of an active child support assessment due to special circumstances. There are 10 reasons why your assessment might be changed, and you need to show evidence for at least one of them.
The Registrar of Child Support can change a Child Support Assessment in special circumstances. The provisions that empower the registrar to do this are found in Part 6A of the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989. The Registrar uses administrative formulas to calculate child support assessments, considering income and care. If a parent believes that the amount of child support that should be paid has changed since the Child Support Assessment, they can use the online Child Support Estimator to calculate the amount payable under a formula assessment.
If you are unhappy with your child support assessment, you must show evidence for at least one of the 10 reasons to change an assessment. Just being unhappy with your assessment is not a valid reason to apply to change it. The costs of raising the child must be significantly affected by the high costs of spending time or communicating with the child, and these costs must be more than 5% of the adjusted taxable income used in your assessment. If you care for your child at least 52 nights a year, travel is the only cost that can be considered.
Other reasons for changing your assessment include:
- Your capacity to support the child is significantly reduced because you are supporting another child or person, such as a former spouse or a partner who cannot support themselves.
- The child support assessment is unfair due to the child's income, earning capacity, property, or financial resources. The child must have enough money to need less support from their parents.
- You have paid or transferred money, goods, or property to your child, the receiving parent, or a third party for the child's benefit, such as during a property settlement.
- The costs of raising the child are significantly affected by the parent or non-parent carer's childcare costs, and the child is under 12 years old.
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Frequently asked questions
Services Australia delivers the Child Support Scheme to separated parents and non-parent carers. To be eligible for a child support assessment, you must be the legal parent or non-parent carer of the child and meet residence rules.
The easiest way to apply is online. You will need to fill in the online Application for Child Support Assessment. If you live outside of Australia, use the International application for an Australian Child Support Assessment form. You may also need to submit other documents, such as a Child Support statutory declaration.
Services Australia calculates the amount of child support to be paid or received using a formula that is in Australian law. This formula takes into account factors such as the income of the parents and the child's care arrangements.
Yes, parents can make child support payments privately, or Services Australia can collect and transfer the payments on their behalf.
