- Parents and Carers
About you- Your child support
- Child support agreements
- Child support and the Family Courts
- Paying child support
- When things change
- When your circumstances change
- If you decide to give your relationship another chance
- Is your child turning 18 and still at school?
- Changing your child support in special circumstances
- If your income changes or is wrong
- Making care arrangements for your children
- Second families
- Estimating child support payments
- Our services for you
- Meeting your child support responsibilities
- Support for separated families
- The Parent's Guide to Child Support
CSA's plain English law & policy guide
Access 2,300 support services for separated families
What should I do if my child support payment is due soon and I know I won't be able to pay on time?
The CSA understands that it's sometimes tough to pay child support. If your circumstances change and you're having difficulty paying contact CSA now on 131 272.
If you know that you are going to be late making your payment or have missed a payment the first thing you should do is contact the CSA to discuss your options.
You will then need to work with your case worker to develop a plan to ensure that you can pay off your outstanding amount. If possible you should try to pay your overdue amount in full so that it does not get on top of you.
You must commit to a plan to ensure that you do not have overdue child support payments again.
CSA can also put you in touch with a number of support services in your local area, such as financial counsellors, which may help you to manage your money more effectively.
What might affect my assessment?
Changes in circumstances can affect the amount you are required to pay. These include:
- Care arrangements.
- Relevant dependant children.
- Changes to court orders or agreements.
- Direct payments to the other parent.
- Changes to income.
If any of your details have changed and you have not informed CSA then it is in your best interest to do so as soon as possible to ensure that your assessment is accurate.
More information on changing your child support assessment
What if I think my overdue amount is wrong?
If you think your assessment is wrong or does not reflect your current circumstances, contact CSA to discuss your options.
In a majority of cases CSA bases its assessments on your stated income on your tax return. If you have not lodged a tax return, the assessment will be based on an estimate of your income from information that you provide.
If you believe that your assessment is incorrect, or that your circumstances have changed since your last assessment, contact CSA as soon as possible to ensure the assessment information is accurate and up-to-date.
More information on changing your child support assessment
Frequently asked questions
- Why would I have outstanding child support?
- What is the CSA's approach to overdue child support?
- What will the CSA do if I have outstanding child support?
- What happens if I don't pay my outstanding child support?
- What are late payment penalties?
- What can I do if I have incurred a penalty?
- I'm having trouble managing my finances now that I'm separated, what can I do?
