The new Child Support Scheme and changes to Family Assistance
What do customers need to do now?
Before the new Child Support Scheme starts on 1 July 2008, there are a few things you need to do.
- Read this information, and keep it to refer to, to help you understand how the changes to the Scheme will affect your child support and family assistance.
- Watch your mailbox for your new child support assessment. You'll receive your new assessment between March and mid-May 2008, which will reflect the new child support formula.
- Make sure CSA and Centrelink have your current contact details, in case we need to talk to you about your arrangements.
- Make sure your care details are correct, so we can accurately assess your child support under the new Scheme. We wrote to you in October–November 2007 asking you to check these details.
- Watch out for a letter from Centrelink in February 2008, checking that your details are correct for family assistance purposes. From 1 July 2008, your care arrangements may affect family assistance so Centrelink need to confirm your circumstances.
If you have an agreement, change of assessment or
court-varied assessment
CSA will contact you about whether your child support arrangements can move
over to the new Child Support Scheme.
What happens with your current child support
arrangements?
Your current assessment or agreement is still valid so keep going with your
current arrangements, including payments, up to and beyond 1 July 2008 unless
we contact you to advise otherwise.
We will work your child support out for you
You don’t have to work out your new child support payments yourself. The Child
Support Agency will work it out for you and send you a new child support
assessment before mid-May 2008.