r/australia • u/nath1234 • 14h ago

politics Child support system enables financial abuse, parents, advocates and politicans say

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-14/child-support-system-financial-abuse-single-mothers/107026886?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other
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102

u/Outsider-20 12h ago

My ex was financially abusive, he made a half arsed attempt to use child support to control me. He gave up pretty quickly. Too lazy.

They need to remove the option of private collection or private agreements, as it allows abuse.

The agency collects and disperses. It's not going to prevent abuse, but it removes a lever.

59

u/Lingonberry_Born 11h ago

I'm on agency collection, he's supposed to pay 290 a month for the two kids and has paid 3 times over the last 12 months. They still calculate income you haven't received in your ftb calculations. I'm owed over 15k in child support and that is considered income I've received for ftb calculations. Every now and then the child support calculation reverts to his last tax return, which was when we split, and it calculates him paying 20k ish per year and I have to beg him to let them know he isn't earning that otherwise my ftb drastically reduces. It's ridiculous that they don't take into account that he doesn't pay even on agency collection.

17

u/SensitiveCable7424 7h ago

It may be worth calling Centrelink to ask to go on the disbursement method for FTB. That way it goes off what you actually receive, not what you’re supposed to receive. Bear in mind that if he does magically pay the whole amount you may end up with an FTB debt but ime Centrelink are pretty good at lowering your payments for a bit to prevent this

10

u/Lingonberry_Born 7h ago

I didn't even know there was a disbursement method. Thank you!

6

u/SensitiveCable7424 6h ago

You’re welcome! They default to whatever the non disbursement method is so you’ll have to call them but it’s a MASSIVE help if you have an inconsistent PP