What is CSA doing to collect overdue child support?
The Child Support Agency’s (CSA) approach to supporting parents to meet their child support responsibilities includes a balance of service, support, education, compliance and enforcement activities.
The CSA aims to make it easy for separated parents to meet their child support responsibilities. Most parents want to do the right thing, however some may need extra support, education and assistance to pay their child support in full and on time.
We want to help parents support their children. If they are genuinely struggling with payments, they can call 131 272* to talk things through with a Customer Service Officer. However, parents who continue to avoid making payments will face a comprehensive range of detection and enforcement actions such as interception of tax refunds or prosecution.
At all times, we endeavour to use an approach that is:
- considered reasonable, with the level of intervention limited to what’s required for that customer
- considered balanced, with customers being aware that we listen to ‘both sides of the story’ and their cooperation will help us achieve the best outcomes
- communicated clearly to customers, so they know their responsibilities, how to meet them and the consequences if they fail to meet them.
Our approach differs for each parent according to their situation.
Compliance Model
| Attitude towards the scheme | Financial situation | |
| Factors influencing parents to meet their child support responsibilities | ||
| Relationship between the parents | Relationship with children |
| Compliance Behaviour | Our Approach | |
| Customers who avoid their child support responsibilities | Our approach to supporting parents to meet their child support responsibilities | Deter and enforce |
| Customers meeting their child support responsibilities with assistance | Provide support, education and assistance | |
| Customers meeting their child support responsibilities voluntarily | Make it easy |
What we do
The table below shows how the CSA works with parents when they miss child support payments:
| What we do | How we do it |
|---|---|
| 1. Telephone parent to discuss outstanding payment. | When speaking with the parents, we verify the amount owing and give them an opportunity to pay outstanding amounts voluntarily. We remind them of our payment options.. |
| 2. Assess parent’s ability to pay and attitude towards clearing outstanding payment | We listen to the parent’s reasons for non-payment and consider their ability to pay, as well as their behaviour towards meeting their child support responsibilities. We work to resolve issues that are getting in the way of making regular payments. We offer referral service information and community service information and options. |
| 3. Identify if a parent could be assisted by an external support service | We recognise that separation is a difficult time for families. We can connect parents to services that provide a range of support including emotional, financial and legal assistance. |
| 4. Seek parent’s commitment and confirm arrangements to clear outstanding payment | We seek to make our expectations clear and achieve effective and sustainable outcomes. We work with the parents to resolve issues and identify options to help them meet their responsibilities. |
| 5. Seek parent’s commitment to ongoing payments and confirm arrangements | We confirm how the outstanding amount will be met, either with a lump sum payment or an initial lump sum with further amounts based on the parent’s capacity to pay. |
| 6. Where a parent refuses to pay, enforce payment using a method appropriate for the parent’s situation | When it is clear the parent will not pay their outstanding child support, we explain that we will seek to enforce payment. We determine the best enforcement option to ensure that we collect the outstanding amount. |
| 7. Identify if the case should be transferred overseas for collection | When the paying parent lives overseas action may be taken to transfer the case to an overseas jurisdiction for collection. The CSA continues to work with a number of countries to improve processes for transferring cases for collection. |
Our enforcement options
- Employer withholding: is where employers are legally required to collect outstanding amounts of child support from an employees’ wages or salaries. The amount—which may vary each pa —is passed onto the CSA to pay a child support debt.
- Benefit deductions: we can deduct from Centrelink benefits and pensions (including Family Tax Benefit) and certain Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.
- Enforcing tax return lodgements: we work closely with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to ensure child support customers lodge their tax returns in a timely way so child support assessments are accurate.
- Intercepting tax refunds: the ATO tells us when a refund is available to a child support parent. We may take the refund and apply it to meet any outstanding child support.
- Third parties: we can issue a notice to someone who holds money for or owes money to a parent. We can require that the money be transferred to the CSA to pay child support debts.
- Departure Prohibition Orders: may be used to prevent parents with outstanding child support from leaving Australia.
- Litigation: we can take parents to court where we’ve been unsuccessful using other enforcement options and where there is other income or assets identified.
Estimating low income
A dad had outstanding child support of around $7400 and a history of non-payment. He’d estimated low incomes for two financial years. When the ATO figures became available they revealed his taxable income was higher. After reconciling the estimates he owed a further $7500. When his tax refund became available he paid the total amount of almost $15000 in overdue child support. He then voluntarily entered into a payment arrangement so he could continue to meet his obligations.
A serious step achieves a good result
Through investigation techniques the CSA learnt that a parent was organising her finances to reduce her income, including being part of a business she said she had no involvement in. She also transferred her share of a property inheritance into someone else’s name. The Federal Magistrate ordered the seizure and sale of a company vehicle to offset the debt, and the remaining child support was paid through third-party creditors.
Compliance program
For more information about compliance read 2010-2012 Compliance Program - CSA: Supporting parents to meet their child support responsibilities or for more factsheets on this subject visit www.csa.gov.au
For further information and help
Call CSA on 131 272†
Call the Telephone Interpreting Service on 131 450*
Visit the CSA website www.csa.gov.au
Ask your representative to assist.
Support Services
Family Relationship Advice Line
Phone: 1800 050 321
www.familyrelationships.gov.au
8am–8pm weekdays, 10am–4pm Sat. (public holidays excluded) Assists people from families affected by relationship or separation issues.
Other CSA resources:
The Parents Guide to Child Support—information about child support for separated parents.
Me and My series of self-help booklets (available in a range of languages and as audio downloads).
Dealing with Separation interactive CD Rom.
Our family’s changed—an activity book for five to seven year olds.
A kid’s guide to changing families—a computer game on CD–ROM for eight to 12 year olds.
Family Separation: a guide for teens—helping young people cope with family separation and change.
CSAonline —this is a secure online service where you can view and update your child support information when it suits you. Go to www.csa.gov.au to enrol.
To order any free CSA publication or more fact sheets visit www.csa.gov.au or freecall 1800 040 972 (charges apply to mobile and public phones).
Your privacy
CSA collects information about you and your family for child support purposes. We understand that some information is sensitive, and we place great importance on protecting your privacy. For more information see the Privacy fact sheet.
The Australian Government Services Fraud tip-off line
The Australian Government Services Fraud tip-off line provides people with a place to report suspected fraud against Centrelink, Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme or the Child Support Agency. If you have information about someone who is mis-using government services, call 131 524*.
*Call charges may apply to the telephone numbers listed.
† Please note: your call may be recorded.
Do you need interpreting help?
If you don’t speak English and need help from CSA, ring the Telephone Interpreting Service on 131 450.
CSA 4078.04.11