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.

Child Support Guide Updates - 2016

7 November 2016 (v4.20)

Page Title Details
6.7.2 Address for Service of Notices Clarified policy.

20 September 2016 (v4.19)

Page Title Details
2.1.1 Applications for Assessment Updated policy.
2.1.2 Eligible Child Updated policy.
3.4.3 CPI Indexation for Cost of Living Added June 2016 CPI figures.
4.3.2 Applications & Orders about Decisions under the CSA Act Updated policy.
4.3.6 Appealing AAT Decisions Clarified policy.
5.3.2 Offsetting Debts between Payees & Payers Updated policy.

15 August 2016 (v4.18)

Page Title Details
2.3.2 When Do Child Support Periods Start? Clarified policy.
2.4.7 The Basic Formula - a Single Case Assessment (Formula 1) Clarified policy.
4.1.8 Care Percentage Decisions Clarified policy.
4.3.3 Implementing Court Orders Made under the Child Support Legislation Clarified policy.
5.2.10 Collection from Parental Leave Payments Clarified policy.

1 July 2016 (v4.17)

Page Title Details
1.1.3 Child Support Legislation Clarified policy.
1.2.1 Amendments to the CSRC Act Updated to reflect legislative change.
1.2.2 Amendments to the CSA Act Updated to reflect legislative change.
1.4.2 Application of the CSRC Act to WA Ex-nuptial cases Updated to reflect legislative change.
1.4.3 Application of the CSA Act to WA Ex-nuptial cases Updated to reflect legislative change.
1.6 Residence Updated to reflect legislative change.
1.6.1 Australian Residence - Parent or Non-parent Carer Updated to reflect legislative change.
2.1.1 Applications for Assessment Updated to reflect legislative change.
2.1.2 Eligible Child Updated to reflect legislative change.
2.2.1 Basics of Care Clarified policy.
2.2.2 Care Determinations & Changes in Care Clarified policy.
2.6.6 Registrar-initiated Change of Assessment Updated information regarding right to respond.
2.6.7 Reason 1 - High Costs in Enabling a Parent to Spend Time with, or Communicate with, a Child Clarified policy.
2.6.8 Reason 2 - the Special Needs of the Child Clarified policy.
2.6.9 Reason 3 - High Costs of Caring for, Educating or Training the Child in the Manner Expected by the Parents Clarified policy.
2.6.10 Reason 4 - Income of the Child Clarified policy.
2.6.13 Reason 7 - Necessary Commitments of Self-support Clarified policy.
2.6.14 Reason 8 - a Parent's Income, Property, Financial Resources, or Earning Capacity Clarified policy.
2.6.17 Would a Change Be Just & Equitable? Updated terminology.
3.1.4 Orders for Step-parents to Pay Child Maintenance Updated terminology.
3.4 Court Ordered Variations & Affecting Events Clarified policy.
3.4.1 Requirement to Advise the Registrar of New Order or Affecting Event Clarified policy.
3.4.2 New Order or Court Registered Agreement that Affects a Liability Updated policy.
3.4.3 CPI Indexation for Cost of Living Updated to reflect indexation.
3.4.4 Joint Election to Suspend Collection after a Change in Care Updated policy.
3.5.5 Severability (Registering Some Clauses in an Order & not Others) Updated terminology.
4.2.6 Effect of AAT First or Second Review Application on the Original Decision Clarified policy.
4.3.6 Appealing AAT Decisions Updated policy.
5 Collecting Child Support Updated terminology.
5.1.2 Registrable Maintenance Liabilities & How They Are Registered Updated terminology.
5.1.3 Date a Liability First Becomes Enforceable Updated terminology.
5.1.4 Collection of Arrears Accrued During Non-collect Period Updated terminology.
5.2 Administrative Enforcement Updated terminology.
5.2.1 Arrangements for Payment Updated terminology.
5.2.3 Collection from Salary or Wages Updated terminology.
5.2.5 Collection from Social Security Pensions & Benefits Updated terminology.
5.2.7 Collection from Veterans' Pensions & Allowances Updated terminology.
5.4.4 Enforcement under the FL Act Updated terminology.
5.5.1 Child Support Account Updated terminology.
5.5.3 Top Up Updated terminology.
5.6 Ending & Reapplying for Collection Updated terminology.
5.7.1 Non-pursuit of Debt Updated terminology.
5.8 Obsolete Entries Updated terminology.
6.2.2 Taking Information from Children Updated policy.
6.3.2 Tax File Numbers & Taxation Information Updated terminology.
6.3.4 Collection & Use of Third Party Information Updated terminology.
6.5.1 Forwarding Documents & Substituted Service Updated terminology.
6.6.1 Documents Held by the Department Updated terminology.
6.7.1 Methods of Service Updated terminology.
6.7.4 Service & Evidence Updated terminology.
6.11.2 Waiver Clarified policy.

16 May 2016 (v4.16)

Page Title Details
1.1.3 Child Support Legislation Updated terminology.
2.2.1 Basics of Care Updated terminology.
2.2.3 Below Regular Care Determinations Updated terminology.
2.2.4 Disputed Care Arrangements Updated terminology.
2.4.2 Formula Tables & Values Clarified policy.
2.4.4.60 New Information about Adjusted Taxable Income Clarified policy.
2.4.10 Assessments Using the Income of Only One Parent (Formulas 5 & 6) Clarified policy.
2.5.2 Additional Income Earned Post Separation Updated terminology.
2.5.3 Application to Have the Fixed Annual Rate of Child Support Not Used Updated terminology.
2.5.5 Application to Have an Assessment Continue Past a Child's 18th Birthday Updated terminology.
2.6.11 Reason 5 - Money, Goods or Property Received by the Child, the Payee or a Third Person Updated terminology.
2.6.18 Would a Change be Otherwise Proper? Updated terminology.
2.8.2 Implementing Court Orders That Vary Assessments Updated terminology.
2.9.5 Amending Assessments Clarified policy.
2.10.1 Suspension of Liability to Pay Child Support when Parents Reconcile Updated terminology.
2.10.3 Terminating Events Clarified policy.
3.1.3 Child Maintenance Orders Updated terminology.
3.1.7 Collection Agency Maintenance Liabilities Updated terminology.
3.2.1 Periodic Amounts Payable to the Payee Updated terminology.
3.2.2 Court Orders & Arrears Updated terminology.
3.3 Notification of Court Orders & Court Registered Agreements Updated terminology.
3.3.1 Notification of Court Orders & Court Registered Agreements Updated terminology.
3.4.2 New Order or Court Registered Agreement That Affects the Liability Updated terminology.
3.4.3 CPI Indexation for Cost of Living Updated CPI figures.
3.4.4 Joint Election to Suspend Collection after a Change in Care Updated terminology.
3.5.1 Order Requiring Payment to the Payee Updated terminology.
3.5.2 Orders Discharging Late Payment Penalties Updated terminology.
3.6.4 Varying Overseas Maintenance Liabilities Updated terminology.
4.2 External Review Applications to the AAT Clarified policy.
4.2.5 The AAT Review Process Clarified policy.
6.2 Collecting Information Updated terminology.
6.2.4 Information Gathering Powers under the CSRC Act Updated terminology.
6.3.3 Secrecy Provisions Clarified policy.

21 March 2016 (v4.15)

Page Title Details
1.4.1 Overview Clarified policy.
1.6.4 Habitual Residency under the Australia-New Zealand Agreement Clarified policy.
2.1.4 Withdrawing an Application Clarified policy.
2.1.5 Deciding to Accept or Refuse an Application Clarified policy.
2.4.1 The Formulas Clarified policy.
2.4.6 The Costs of the Child Clarified policy.
2.4.8 Assessment - Single Case with a Non-parent Carer (Formula 2) Clarified policy.
4.1.1 Overview Clarified policy.
6.8.1 Employer Offences Clarified policy.
6.8.2 Offences Involving a Failure to Comply with Notices Clarified policy.
6.8.3 Offences Involving a Failure to Comply with a Requirement of the Legislation Clarified policy.
6.8.4 False & Misleading Statements Clarified policy.
6.8.7 Prosecution of Offences Clarified policy.

8 February 2016 (v4.14)

Page Title Details
1.2.1 Amendments to the CSRC Act Clarified policy.
1.2.2 Amendments to the CSA Act Clarified policy.
2.2.2 Care Determinations & Changes in Care Clarified policy.
2.6.7 Reason 1 - High Costs in Enabling a Parent to Spend Time with, or Communicate with, a Child Clarified policy.
2.9.2 Assessment Notices Clarified policy.
2.10.2 Electing to End an Assessment Clarified policy.
3.5.4 Orders Dealing with Arrears Updated terminology.
4.1.2 Decisions Made under the CSA Act to Which a Person May Object Updated title.
4.1.4 Can an Objection Decision Be Made? Updated terminology.
5.2.8 Tax Refund Intercepts Clarified policy.
5.2.9 Collection from Third Parties Clarified policy.
5.4.3 Enforcement by Civil Action Updated terminology.
5.6.2 Registrar-initiated Ending of Collection Clarified policy.
6.8.6 Secrecy Offences Updated policy.
6.10 Family & Domestic Violence Updated terminology.
6.10.1 Family & Domestic Violence Clarified policy.

4 January 2016 (v4.13)

Page Title Details
1.4.2 Application of the CSRC Act to WA Ex-nuptial Cases Updated to reflect the WA Parliament adoption of child support laws as at 1 July 2015.
1.4.3 Application of the CSA Act to WA Ex-nuptial Cases Updated to reflect WA Parliament adoption of child support laws at 1 July 2015.
2.2.5 Alignment of Care between Child Support & FTB Updated to reflect legislative change.
2.4 Formula Assessment Clarified policy.
2.4.2 Formula Tables & Values Added 2016 Cost of the Children Table.
2.4.4 Child Support Income Restructured whole section.
2.5.3 Application to Have the Fixed Annual Rate of Child Support Not Used Clarified policy.
2.6 Change of Assessment in Special Circumstances Updated to reflect legislative change.
2.6.5 Change of Assessment Process - Application from Payer or Payee Updated terminology.
2.6.6 Registrar-initiated Change of Assessment Updated terminology.
2.7.4 Effect of a Child Support Agreement Once Accepted by the Registrar (Other than Lump Sum Payment Provisions) Updated to reflect legislative change.
2.7.5 Changing or Terminating a Child Support Agreement Clarified policy.
3.4.3 CPI Indexation for Cost of Living Added September 2015 CPI figures.
4.1.2 Decisions Made under the CSA Act to Which a Parent May Object Updated to reflect legislative change.
4.1.6 Making a Decision to Allow or Disallow an Objection Updated terminology.
4.2 External Review Applications to the AAT Updated to reflect legislative change.
4.3 Court Applications, Appeals & Orders Updated to reflect legislative change.
5.2.4 Employer Obligations for Collection from Salary or Wages Added 2016 protected earnings amount.
6.1 Authorisation & Delegation Clarified policy.
6.1.1 Child Support Registrar's Powers Clarified policy.
6.1.2 Delegation of Powers Clarified policy.
6.1.3 Authorisation to Make Decision on Another's Behalf Clarified policy.
6.3.6 Authorised Representatives Updated policy.