Dealing with CSA - A Child Support Agency Fact Sheet

CSA and receiving parents

If you are owed child support, you may have the information to help the CSA collect your outstanding payments.

The Child Support Agency (CCSA) aims to ensure children can rely on their parents for the emotional support necessary for their wellbeing. When parents don’t receive payments in full and on time, this can make life difficult. The CSA is doing everything we can to make sure parents receive the right amount, however, there are things that you can do to help us ensure that your children are supported.

Keep CSA informed

If you are owed child support, you may have information to help CSA collect your outstanding payments. Information such as where your ex-partner is working, where they bank, how they structure their income or if they have moved house can be vital. This information is then used by our customer service officers to find the paying parent and work with them to regularly pay the right amount on time.

Keep CSA up-to-date

To ensure you are receiving the right amount of child support it is important to keep your details up-to-date. If any of your details change make sure you tell the CSA as soon as possible. This includes:

• your contact details
• care arrangements income,
• or relationship status.

Don’t want to rock the boat?

If you have applied to receive child support but have any concerns for your personal safety, it is important to speak to the CSA and a social worker at Centrelink. Centrelink can provide support and, where appropriate, can provide benefits in place of child support payments.
The CSA has a sensitive approach to collecting child support payments, and hopes to minimise the impact on both parents and children.

A good outcome for both sides

A mum who was the receiving parent told the CSA the paying parent was incorrectly stating his income. The CSA investigated both parents’ financial circumstances and found that the father was earning more than shown in the child support assessments. The dad had a ‘nil’ income assessment and had not paid child support. Following the investigation and new assessment, the dad’s child support payments rose from nil to $11,400 a year. Satisfied with the process, the dad is now making voluntary payments. When doing investigations CSA will consider evidence relating to both parents to ensure a balanced outcome.

Compliance strategy

For more information about CSA’s compliance strategy -
CSA: Supporting parents to meet their child support responsibilities 2008-22010 or for more fact sheets on this subject visit www.csa.gov.au

Our approach to transferring child support

Our approach differs for each parent, according to their motivation to pay and the likelihood of them meeting their responsibilities. To ensure appropriate financial support is provided to children, we aim to provide parents with the right balance of customer service, education and enforcement activities.

Compliance activities

Our approach differs for each parent, according to their motivation to pay and the likelihood of them meeting their responsibilities. To ensure appropriate financial support is provided to children, we aim to provide parents with the right balance of customer service, education and enforcement activities.

Employer withholding of arrears (EEWA)
Is where employers are legally required to collect outstanding amounts of child support from employees’ wages or salaries. This amount may vary each pay depending on the amount owed. EWA is an administrative cost to business.

Lodgement enforcement
The CSA works with the Australian Taxation Office to encourage child support customers to lodge their tax returns in a timely way so that child support assessments are accurate.

Tax return intercept
Where tax has been overpaid, the Australian Taxation Office (AA is obliged to refund the excess. The ATO will inform the CSA when a refund is available to a parent with outstanding child support. The CSA may take that amount from the refund.

Optical surveillance
In our more serious cases we may also use optical surveillance to assist us in investigating complex avoidance and minimisation arrangements.