CSA and paying parents
The CSA and paying parents
The Child Support Agency (CSA) aims to make it easier for separated parents to support their children and meet their child support responsibilities.
Most parents want to do the right thing, however some need some extra support, education and advice. When a parent doesn’t meet their responsibilities, the CSA works with them to achieve the best outcome for their children and both parents.
Hints and tips
Paying your child support
- Consider a private collect arrangement. These are payments made directly between parents, however and whenever you want, as long as both parents agree on a payment plan.
- If you’re a CSA collect customer, there are a range of convenient payment options including direct credit from your bank account, BPay, Australia Post’s BillPay service, credit card payments through Government EasyPay or by mail.
- Start a regular schedule to help you pay eg. set a reminder in your phone on the same day each month.
- Arrange for your payments to come directly out of your wages or salary. You’ll always know you’re paying in full and on time and will have a record of all of your payments.
- Lodge your tax return on time so you pay the correct amount of child support based on your actual income, not an estimate.
- Tell the CSA if your income changes so your kids receive the right amount of child support and you don’t pay more than you should.
- If you don’t think your situation reflects your capacity to pay, talk to the CSA about your options.
- Pay your child support on time. Missing a payment or paying late can result in penalties.
- If you’re finding it hard to pay your child support, contact the CSA now on 131 272* to discuss your options.
- If you have overdue child support the best thing you can do is call the CSA and work out a payment arrangement. Ignoring the situation could make it worse.
- You can make a lump sum payment or arrange non agency payments with the other parent to clear any overdue child support. See the next page for more information.
Dealing with separation
- If you’re not coping, seek help. There are a number of people available to help you with emotional, financial or other issues. Check the My family is separating – what now? website http://familyseparation.humanservices.gov.au/ for more information.
- Form a business-like relationship with the other parent. This will allow you to look at the situation without getting emotional and negotiate what’s best for your children.
- Maintain your relationship with your children. Even though you’re separated you can still have a relationship with them. You’ll also better understand where your child support payments are being spent and why.
Keeping in touch with the CSA
- Enrol to use CSAonline, the CSA’s secure online service that lets you view and update your details online. You can also tell us about any changes to your case. CSAonline is a convenient way for you to deal with us when and where it suits you, saving you time on the phone. Go to www.csa.gov.au to enrol.
- If you receive a letter you don’t understand, call the CSA so that we can explain it to you.
- Contact the CSA if your circumstances change (eg. contact details, care arrangements or income) or you have trouble making payments. Ring us now on 131 272* to get your payments back on track.
The easy way to pay
Joe was finding it difficult to remember to pay his child support every month. He was still dealing with the emotional aspects of his separation as well as moving house and trying to adjust to his new circumstances.
When he missed a payment he talked to a CSA Customer Service Officer about his situation and the options available. He chose to have his overdue payments and ongoing child support deducted straight from his salary by his employer.
While he was at first hesitant because he didn’t want his employer to know about his situation, the Customer Service Officer explained that they would handle the situation discreetly.
Now Joe is pleased his kids are being supported, and he can focus on getting used to his new life situation while maintaining contact with his children.
Non agency payments: more control for parents
In cases where the CSA is collecting child support, the paying parent may choose to make a payment directly to the other parent or a third party if this is agreed between them.
Non agency payments can be in the form of cash or buying any items or services and must be agreed to by both parents. Examples include school fees, medical expenses or even a school excursion. This type of payment could also be a non-cash transaction, like the transfer of property. We recommend that non agency payments aren’t used as a regular way of paying child support, as you need to keep records of all the payments and notify the CSA each time so your account can be adjusted. If you want to use these types of payments regularly, a child support agreement or private arrangement with the other parent may be a better option.
There are also prescribed payments that may be credited as child support without the agreement of the receiving parent, if you have less than 14 per cent care of your children. A prescribed payment is credited in a different way to a non agency payment. The paying parent must pay 70 per cent of their normal monthly child support payment and the remaining 30 per cent can be credited each month until the entire cost of the item (eg. school fees) has been covered.
Non agency payments allow both parents to have a say about how child support payments are spent. For more information visit www.csa.gov.au
Our approach to collecting overdue child support
Our approach differs for each parent according to their situation.
For most parents, our focus is on making the system easier to use and providing support, education and assistance. However, parents who continue to avoid making child support payments will face a comprehensive range of advanced detection and enforcement actions.
In situations where there’s little or no evidence of a parent’s commitment to meeting their child support responsibilities or where there’s evidence of fraud, we rely on enforcement activities to ensure we achieve the best outcome for children and both parents. We tailor our response to address the particular situation of the parent.
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.
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 |
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 4079.04.11