The Guides to Social Policy Law is a collection of publications designed to assist decision makers administering social policy law. The information contained in this publication is intended only as a guide to relevant legislation/policy. The information is accurate as at the date listed at the bottom of the page, but may be subject to change. To discuss individual circumstances please contact Services Australia.

1.2.1.20 Child Support Account

Context

The Child Support Account (the Account) is established under the CSRC Act to enable Services Australia to receive payments in relation to child support debts, carer debts and enforceable maintenance liabilities from payers which are then transferred to payees.

Description

Any payments Services Australia receives are credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (consolidated revenue). Services Australia must transfer the following amounts from consolidated revenue into the Account (CSRC Act section 74(1)):

  • payment received to pay a child support debt or carer debt, including payments received from employers
  • amounts received from a payers of an enforceable maintenance liabilities as a voluntary payment, and
  • amounts equal to amounts that are to be debited where the Registrar has determined certain amounts are payable to persons under the child support legislation (CSRC Act section 75(1)(c)).

The purposes of the Account are to make payments:

  • to payees of registered maintenance liabilities
  • to payees of registrable carer liabilities (to repay a child support overpayment)
  • to make payments to payees of enforceable maintenance liabilities voluntarily paid by a payer, and
  • to make other payments the Registrar has determined for the purposes of the CSRC Act are payable to persons in respect of child support.

In cases where the Registrar has credited the Account in relation to an unremitted deduction made by an employer (CSRC Act section 77) or in relation to an unexplained remittance from an employer (CSRC Act section 78(3)), the Registrar may debit amounts from employers and payers from the Account.

Act reference: CSRC Act section 69B Overpayments of payees, section 73 Child Support Account, section 74 Credit of amounts to Account, section 75 Purposes of the Account, section 76 Entitlement of payees of registered maintenance …, section 77 Unremitted deductions made by employers, section 78 Unexplained remittances from employers

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