2.9.2 Assessment notices

Context

When the Registrar makes an administrative assessment, notice must be immediately given in writing to each parent and any non-parent carer applicant.

Information included in a notice of assessment

The following information must be included in the notice of assessment (CSA Act section 76):

• the annual and daily rates of child support payable
• the ATI (2.4.4.10) and child support income (2.4.4) of any parent assessed in respect of the costs of the children (2.4.6) in the child support case (2.4.1) to which the assessment relates (assessed parent)
• the names and dates of birth of each child in the child support case to which the assessment relates
• the number and age ranges of any relevant dependent children (1.1.R.60) of an assessed parent
• if a parent has other child support cases, the number and age ranges of the children in those other child support cases
• a parent's percentage of care (1.1.C.20) for each child in the child support case to which the assessment relates
• if there is a non-parent carer (2.1.1), the non-parent carer's percentage of care for each child in the child support case to which the assessment relates
• the costs of each child (2.4.6) in the child support case to which the assessment relates
• if a child support agreement includes lump sum payment provisions, or if a court has made an order under CSA Act section 123A (10.4.2) in respect of the children in the child support case to which the assessment relates
  • the amount of the lump sum payment specified in the agreement or order
  • the amount of any remaining lump sum payment (within the meaning of the CSRC Act), and
  • any annual rate and daily rate of child support that remains payable under CSA Act section 78 after taking into account any remaining lump sum payment that will be credited under CSRC Act section 69A, and
• any other matters that are prescribed by regulation (currently no other matters are prescribed).

If an administrative assessment is calculated in accordance with either an order made by a court under CSA Act Division 4 of Part 7, or the provisions of a child support agreement accepted under Part 6, then the assessment notice does not need to include any information, as mentioned above, that is not relevant to the making of the assessment (CSA Act section 76(2A)).

The notice must also include, or be accompanied by, information about the rights of the parents or any non-parent carer to (CSA Act section 76(3)):

• object, subject to the CSRC Act, to the particulars of the assessment (10.2.2)
• apply to the ART for review of an objection decision, if aggrieved by that decision (10.3.2)
• apply to the ART for second review of an ART decision in relation to the percentages of care in the assessment, if aggrieved by the ART decision
• apply to the Registrar for a change of administrative assessment under Part 6A of the CSA Act (2.6.1)
• apply to a court for an order under CSA Act section 123A (10.4.2) that the parent provide child support for the child in the form of a lump sum payment to be credited against that parent's liability under any relevant administrative assessment, and
• apply to a court for an order under CSA Act section 124 that a parent provide child support for the child in a form other than periodic amounts (10.4.2).

Annual & daily rates

When the Registrar assesses the annual rate of child support payable by a parent, the assessment notice must state the liability as both an annual rate and a daily rate (CSA Act section 69).

The Registrar converts the annual rate of child support to a daily rate by dividing the annual rate by 365.25 (CSA Regs section 14). The calculation is rounded to 5 decimal places.