The new Child Support Scheme and changes to Family Assistance
If you decide to give your relationship another chance
It will be much easier for parents who want to give their relationship another chance. The Child Support Agency (CSA) will suspend child support for six months if parents decide to get back together.
In this section:
- How will getting back together affect child support?
- How will getting back together affect Family Tax Benefit?
- Advising CSA or Centrelink
- If you separate again
How will getting back together affect child support?
While you're back together, we will suspend your child support arrangements and it will be as though the child support assessment doesn't exist—no child support will be payable and no debts will accumulate. If one of you has another child support assessment with someone else, the children who are living with you will be treated as relevant dependant children in that assessment. See information about relevant dependent children.
If you receive child support, you can still choose to end the assessment earlier in the reconciliation if you wish. If you are still together after six months, CSA will automatically end the child support assessment.
Important
information for people receiving family assistance
How will getting back together affect Family Tax Benefit?
If you get back together with your partner, your Family Tax Benefit Part A will be assessed on your and your partner's income. Depending on your income, you may not be entitled to receive Family Tax Benefit Part B. Child support will not be collected and therefore the Maintenance Income Test (see more information) will not apply.
Important
information for people receiving family assistance
Advising CSA or Centrelink
If you are a Centrelink customer and have a child support assessment, you will need to contact both Centrelink and CSA. Centrelink will need to know your new income details and any other changes in your circumstances to reassess your Family Assistance and income support. CSA will need to know when to suspend your child support case.
If you separate again
Separating within six months
If you separate again within six months, either parent can reinstate the assessment by simply telling CSA you have separated again. The paying parent will only start paying child support from the new date of separation.
Important
information for people receiving family assistance
How does it affect Family Tax Benefit?
- The Maintenance Income Test will apply immediately from the new date of separation.
- If CSA collects child support for you, CSA will restart collecting for you. Your Family Tax Benefit Part A will be assessed on the child support collected.
- If you collect child support privately, you will need to collect child support from the other parent straight away. Your Family Tax Benefit Part A will be assessed on the amount of child support you are entitled to receive.
Separating after six months
If you separate again after six months, either parent will need to apply for a new child support assessment within 13 weeks of the new date of separation.
Important
information for people receiving family assistance
How does it affect Family Tax Benefit?
If you do not apply for a child support assessment or request an
exemption from applying for a child support assessment, within 13 weeks, you
will only receive the base rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A for your children
from that relationship.