Assessment Notice
An assessment notice is the official letter issued after your child support is worked out or updated. The assessment notice shows how much is payable, both as a yearly and daily amount. It also lists key details used in the calculation, including each parent’s income, care percentage, the children in the case, and the date the assessment applies from.
Key takeaways for parents
The assessment notice is the key record for your child support case. While notices are issued routinely, a quick look may help identify any issues or financial impacts.
- Check the notice more closely when the amount payable has changed significantly; and
- Confirm that both parents’ incomes and the care percentages used are correct.
Assessment notices can arrive often, be lengthy and contain more detail than most parents need. Focusing on the key inputs may explain a change or reveal an incorrect assumption.
Assessment notice definition
An assessment notice (or notice of assessment) is a written notice issued by the Registrar immediately after an administrative assessment has been made. It provides the payee and payer with their assessed child support liability as both an annual rate and daily rate.
Definition source: Guides to Social Policy Law, Child Support Guide, Assessment notice.
What the notice shows
The assessment notice is the output of the child support formula. The notice does not change the calculation itself. Instead, it sets out the result and the key details used to work it out, including each parent’s income, care percentages, the children in the case, and the date the assessment applies from.
The assessment notice also establishes the timing. It shows when a new rate starts and confirms that you have been formally notified. The dates affect objections and reviews and any backdating.
The notice must include both the annual and daily rates. The daily rate allows the system to adjust amounts precisely when changes occur partway through a period.
The assessment notice also outlines your rights, including the ability to object, seek review, or apply for a change of assessment. Objection and review rights are tied to the timing of the notice.
Example after an income update
You receive a new assessment notice after your income is updated. The notice shows a higher annual rate, your updated taxable income, and your care percentage. It also states the exact date the new rate starts.
If you disagree, the notice marks the point from which objection timeframes run. If you ignore the notice, the new rate still applies from the effective date shown.
Even when assessment notices arrive frequently, each one should be checked. Small changes can affect your rate, and the notice is the only place where the full picture is set out clearly.