Q:What are the new Changes to Child Support
A: The changes mentioned below of just a few of many changes that have occured.
All the information that we are about to give you can be found on the Family
Court website (www.familycourt.gov.au) and the Child Support Agency website (www.csa.gov.au).
So its a great place to go if you require further information. During the past
few years, there has been an overhaul of changes to the laws governing the area
of Child Support.
Q: Why do we need these changes?
A: The Government says they had 3 motives for changing the Child Support area
and they were to ensure it meets the best interest of children, better balances
the interests of parents and to better reflect the 'real' costs of children.
Q: When do these changes happen?
A: They have already begun. The reforms are being introduced in 3 stages over a
2 year period. STAGE 1: Commenced 1st July 2006 STAGE 2: Commenced 1st January
2007 STAGE 3: Due to Commence 1st July 2008
Q: What changes occurred in Stage 1 - 1st July 2006?
A: One of the changes include giving the “non-resident parent” more of a say by
increasing credits in Prescribed non agency payments, which basically means that
any parent who makes a non-agency prescribed payment, for example school fees or
medical costs, to get credit for up to 30% (which used to be 25%) of their
regular child support, provided they have paid the remaining 70% of the child
support liability first. Another highlight of the changes was to provide a
higher rate of payment for non-resident parents who care for their child for one
or more nights per week.
Q: What changes occurred in Stage 2 – 1st January 2007?
A: These changes are fairly recent as they came into play earlier this year. The
changes included any parent, whether Resident or Non-Resident, who objects to a
decision made by the Child Support Agency after 1st January 2007, can now appeal
to the Social Securities Appeal Tribunal for an independent review of the
decision. This in turn will provide parents an avenue of appeal if they're not
happy with the outcome given by the Child Support Agency. Also, it now provides
the Courts with wider powers to make short-term arrangements about child support
issues while simultaneously considering the case. Another very important change
is giving the parents 13 weeks instead of 28 days to settle their child support
payments with their former partner before their Family Tax Benefit Payments are
affected. This extra time can also be used to reconcile.
Q: What changes will occur in Stage 3 – 1st July 2008?
A: These last set of changes will be introduced next year and will include
situations where parents with second jobs and overtime to be excluded from child
support calculations for the first 3 years after separation. This change in
particular is, in our view one of the most beneficial to non-resident parents
who want to work hard and re-build their lives with less financial worries.
Another change takes into consideration parents who have a financial
responsibility for a step child, can apply to have the child treated as a
dependant for the purposes of calculating their child support. And finally,
another important change to note is the greater flexibility for parents to agree
on paying child support in a lump-sum payment. For example, transferring
ownership of real property instead of making regular cash payments. ( This
information from the website of the CSA.)
http://www.csa.gov.au/
Q: The Child Support Agency has me all confused. I would like to be able to
learn more about the processes that I can use to make sure they assess my
children's level of support properly according to my own situation?
A: There is a lot to be learned from the Child Support Agency website. There are
downloadable forms to use if you need to. You can always telephone the child
Support agency on the numbers on your Letters from them. and also on the web
page. Don't forget to always quote your case number when you call or write to
them. Here is the web site: www.csa.gov.au
Q: How do I change a child support assessment that I don't agree with?
A: You need to contact child support and complete a form that asks them to
consider changing the assessment. There are 9 grounds on which you can rely.
Send the form to CSA and they will send it to your partner for response. The
case officer will then arrange an appointment to see you both or talk to you on
the phone and will make a decision. IF you are not happy with the decision, you
may appeal to the Child Support agency. If you are still not happy, then and
only then can you apply to the Court. Check the form on the CSA website referred
to on our links page.
Q: Changes to Child Support
A: The changes mentioned below of just a few of many changes that have occured.
All the information that we are about to give you can be found on the Family
Court website (www.familycourt.gov.au) and the Child Support Agency website (www.csa.gov.au).
So its a great place to go if you require further information. During the past
few years, there has been an overhaul of changes to the laws governing the area
of Child Support.
Q: Why do we need these changes?
A: The Government had 3 motives for changing the Child Support area and they
were to ensure it meets the best interest of children, better balances the
interests of parents and to better reflect the 'real' costs of children.
Q: When do these changes happen?
A: They have already begun. The reforms are being introduced in 3 stages over a
2 year period. STAGE 1: Commenced 1st July 2006 STAGE 2: Commenced 1st January
2007 STAGE 3: Due to Commence 1st July 2008
Q: What changes occurred in Stage 1 - 1st July 2006?
A: One of the changes include giving the “non-resident parent” more of a say by
increasing credits in Prescribed non agency payments, which basically means that
any parent who makes a non-agency prescribed payment, for example school fees or
medical costs, to get credit for up to 30% (which used to be 25%) of their
regular child support, provided they have paid the remaining 70% of the child
support liability first. Another highlight of the changes was to provide a
higher rate of payment for non-resident parents who care for their child for one
or more nights per week.
Q: What changes occurred in Stage 2 – 1st January 2007?
A: These changes are fairly recent as they came into play earlier this year. The
changes included any parent, whether Resident or Non-Resident, who objects to a
decision made by the Child Support Agency after 1st January 2007, can now appeal
to the Social Securities Appeal Tribunal for an independent review of the
decision. This in turn will provide parents an avenue of appeal if they're not
happy with the outcome given by the Child Support Agency. Also, it now provides
the Courts with wider powers to make short-term arrangements about child support
issues while simultaneously considering the case. Another very important change
is giving the parents 13 weeks instead of 28 days to settle their child support
payments with their former partner before their Family Tax Benefit Payments are
affected. This extra time can also be used to reconcile.
Q: What changes will occur in Stage 3 – 1st July 2008?
A: These last set of changes will be introduced next year and will include
situations where parents with second jobs and overtime to be excluded from child
support calculations for the first 3 years after separation. This change in
particular is, in our view one of the most beneficial to non-resident parents
who want to work hard and re-build their lives with less financial worries.
Another change takes into consideration parents who have a financial
responsibility for a step child, can apply to have the child treated as a
dependant for the purposes of calculating their child support. And finally,
another important change to note is the greater flexibility for parents to agree
on paying child support in a lump-sum payment. For example, transferring
ownership of real property instead of making regular cash payments.
