The Child Support Agency (CSA) administers Australia's Child Support Scheme, supporting separated parents to contribute and transfer payments for the benefit of their children.
It’s important to notify the Child Support Agency of any changes to your employment and income circumstances as soon as they happen. Child support obligations (sometimes called child maintenance payments) are based on among other things income, and may be reduced if you lose your job or your income is reduced.
By keeping CSA informed, you’ll be paying or receiving the correct amount of child support. CSA will advise the other parent if your payment obligations change as a result of any changes to your income.
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Advising CSA of your changed circumstances
When you are in stable employment, your child support obligation is based (among other things), on your last tax return and your expected income for the upcoming 12 months. However, any unforeseen change of circumstances such as losing your job or earning less income, will mean the payments you are required to make for your children may change.
You can request that CSA use an estimated adjusted taxable income to calculate your child support payment where your circumstances have changed and your income is less if:
- your child support payments are based on a tax return or advice to CSA of your adjusted taxable income for the year; and
- your current adjusted taxable income is at least 15% less than the income used in the assessment; or
- you lodged an estimate for the current period more than two months ago because of changed circumstances, and the new estimate is for a different amount.
You may not be able to lodge an estimate for any part of your assessment that is not based on your income, but rather based on:
- an agreement between yourself and the other parent; or
- a determination made under the change of assessment process; or
- a court order.
For more information about your options, including how to lodge an estimate call the Child Support Agency on 13 12 72.
Note that you usually have to continue to pay child support, including debt for child support arrears if you become bankrupt.
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Providing information for calculation of child support payments
The best way to ensure you are paying the correct amount of child support is to lodge your tax return on time every year. If you lodge your tax return late and are earning less income, the Child Support Agency (CSA ) will not be able to backdate reduced payments unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If you are not required to lodge a tax return, you must lodge a Request for Taxable Income Details form with the Child Support Agency.
If you have not lodged a tax return for two years and CSA is unable to determine your income – either from information you provide or other information they have – they will base your child support payment on a default income of two thirds of a current annual weekly earnings figure published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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If you don’t pay required child support
If you are in arrears with your child support payments, you should contact CSA and try to make an arrangement to repay them. They may accept an amount on top of what you are already paying to clear the arrears over an extended period of time. If your circumstances change you should tell the CSA immediately.
If you don’t pay your child support, the Child Support Agency can collect it direct from your wages or Centrelink payment entitlement without a court order. It is worth noting that child support payments and arrears are not wiped by bankruptcy.
If you are not working, CSA can ask the Magistrates’ Court for an order allowing them to:
- use the sheriff to seize certain goods (excluding general household goods) and sell them; or
- seize money from your bank account.
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Further information
If you are at risk of violence, you should contact CSA immediately (13 12 72) for advice and referral to support services.
Contact the Child Support Agency (13 12 72), and once registered, you may use CSAonline.
Contact Victorian Legal Aid (03 9629 0120 or 1800 677 402).