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 social security payments. 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.

2.3.3 When do child support periods end?

Context

When the Registrar makes a new assessment, the old assessment and child support period will end. If a child support period ends, the Registrar must make a new assessment to start immediately after the child support period that has ended.

Act reference

CSA Act section 7A

On this page

Child support periods do not overlap. An existing period always ends the day before a new period starts.

A child support period will end at whichever of the following times occurs soonest after the start of the period (section 7A(3)):

End of the month in which the Registrar makes a new assessment because an income tax assessment issues

When the Registrar makes a new assessment because an income tax assessment issues for one of the parents, the current child support period ends on the last day of the month in which the Registrar makes the assessment (section 7A(3)(b)). The new assessment applies to a new child support period that starts on the first day of the following month.

The day before the start of a child support agreement that affects the rate of child support payable

A child support period in an existing case will end on the day before the rate of child support changes because the Registrar has accepted a child support agreement (sections 7A(3)(c) and (d)).

15 months after the start of the child support period

In all other cases, the child support period will end 15 months after the start of the period. A child support period cannot be longer than 15 months (section 7A(3)(a)).

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