CSA Child Support Complaints Forum
How Can I Help?
To help bring change to the child support system, please go to this Child Support YouTube Channel, subscribe, and hit the notification bell.
We're trying to grow the channel to help raise awareness of how to better support Australian children. The more subscribers, the better the chances of politicians noticing. Thanks.
From the Child Support YouTube Channel:
We Give Evidence to the Family Law Inquiry
Answer to the question on notice: PDF document
Child Support Recommendations
Family Law Inquiry: Interim Report
When parents ignore court orders
When parents don’t lodge tax returns
50:50 shared care
“Extra Care” formula
You can now follow realandrewlancaster on Instagram.
Just scan the QR code with your phone.
You can also search "realandrewlancaster" or click on this link.
Dave
I am being completely screwed by the child support system due to a malicious actor. Her income was underreported by initially at lodgment by $24,000 per annum, and yet mine was honest and consistent. She denied my overnight care of the children unlawfully for 4 months and it cost me in the order of $20,000 to advocate for the children and I, to have access. When I began overnight care on the 4 January 2024, each report of my 60 days, then 84 days and finally 120 days overnight annual care was rejected over an 18month period and my care assessment still sits at 6%. I have provided calendars with the specific days of care, witness statements and a witness statutory declaration that the 2023, 2024, 2025 calendar records are true and correct, correspondence for my ex verifying the calendars, but services Australia rejects the evidence and wont change my child support. I nearly lost my apartment last month which would mean I would lose the care I have, because my $23,000 tax return was withheld for 3 months by the ATO, services Australia and Centrelink, so I couldn’t make the $2136 per month overinflated child support payments and cover my living expenses. The estimator says I should be paying in the order of $1200 per month with correct data. There is no accountability shown by services Australia for ghastly inconsiderate and frankly incompetent determinations over an 18month period. No one of my responsible witnesses, myself or the representative Authority I have been contacted to clarify or verify evidence of my case. My integrity is intact. I am an Ex Lieutenant in the Navy, who held a Top Secret clearance and served the country for a decade, I am now a Registered Paramedic who has served the community for 16 years, and I quite literally have served my spouse and kids for 10 years and I am treated and financially abused like a substandard citizen by the department and system. This is a disgraceful system. I need help.
Dr Andrew Lancaster
You need to narrow down the issues. Why has your evidence not been used? Is it something to do with lateness? I can’t really advise without clear information.
Mary Anne
Hi Andrew
This is a follow up to my other post you responded for on 1st on January. I can’t reply to your responses. This was my comment “My husband’s contract recently finished, we are contemplating contacting CS to let them know………..””
Thank you for the response. Following on to this relating the estimate.
How do you work out what you provide as estimate. For Simplicity, previous income was $100k and given he haven’t been working for a couple of weeks. He gets a job for the same amount $100k. His total Taxable income will most likely be ~$88k for 2024FY. Do you then let them know the income of $100k or the taxable income of $85k and the new amount rolls into 2025FY when he’s worked the full year.
Thank you for your help.
Dr Andrew Lancaster
CSA are weird when it comes to estimates. When you do an estimate, they don’t let you provide a figure for the whole year. They will lock in $100k from 1 July to now. Then they apply the new salary for the rest of the year. So, with 5 and a bit months to go, an estimate of $85k corresponds with an annual income of more like $93.25k ($100k for 6.6 months and $85k for 5.4 months).
So, you really need to go lower. $73k would do the job. You would end up with your annual estimate being very close to the final figure.
David
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for this forum.
I received a letter from CSA advising me my ex wants to extend my now 18 year old (who only turned 18 in January this year) because she is finishing of her secondary schooling. However, the letter was dated the 24th December 2024 and I only recieved the letter today (8 January 2025) and it says if I have any objections to lodge them by 7th January 2025. How can that be when I only recieved the letter today and it said if I don’t respond within 14 days of the letter they will proceed with my ex’s application to extend the Child Support. Can you advise what I can do in this circumstance. I am already drafting up a response to Child Support to point out certain things which would pertain to why I think she is not at school.
However, one other last quesiton if I have sizeable debt (over $4k) with child support because they wanted to me to pay back $29.94 per week plus also the monthly child support amount of $196 per month. The reason they have asked me to pay back $4k because when I worked part time and casually one year I incorrectly reported my estimate earnings it was over $20k over because. They didn’t understand that when I quit my part time work in November 2023 I become a casual employee for a company from November 2023. My lesson has been learned because when I was didn’t work for three and half a weeks in May 2024 I told them that and then oddly enough they estimated my income for the 2023/24 Financial Year to be $0. I didn’t say anything about this. However, if I do my tax return for 2023/24 it will show around $42k. Can I ask you what are the chances if I write to my local Federal MP and the Federal Famlies and Services Minister that the $4k debt can be waived or substantially reduced. Thanks for your help so far.
Dr Andrew Lancaster
They should be flexible with timing. Sending a time-urgent letter on Christmas Eve is a bit ridiculous. Forms are normally available to request an extension of time to respond.
Writing to a Minister won’t help with child support matters. It is an administrative issue, not policy.