Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and child support assessments 277-51010010

If the customer is contacting due to separating, there are important steps the Service Officer must advise the customer about to keep their personal information safe. The sequence of the updates is important, and all updates must be made separately for Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support. See Separating Safely - Protecting personal details.

To be assessed for more than the base rate of FTB, customers may be required to apply for a child support assessment. An application for a child support assessment can only be made by a parent of an eligible child. In some cases, it is not applicable for a customer to take action to obtain child support.

Even if a customer's personal income means they will only receive base rate Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A, they must be encouraged to take reasonable action to get child support. It is every parent's responsibility to provide financial support for their children.

Customers may only apply for a child support assessment for an eligible child. However, it is not always appropriate for the customer to apply, first check that an application for child support assessment is needed.

For parents, there is a 13 week (91 day) timeframe for the customer to take reasonable action to get child support so Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A can continue to be paid at more than the base rate for a child. Information must be given to the customer about the effect of taking action to get child support and maintenance income on their rate of FTB Part A.

The paying parent can begin paying child support directly to the receiving parent once Child Support advises them how much to pay. Child Support cannot collect money from the paying parent unless the receiving parent asks Child Support to collect child support payments on their behalf.

The paying parent (or their current partner) may be entitled to more FTB if they are paying child support. This is because the full amount of child support paid is deducted from their taxable income under the FTB income test as child maintenance expenditure.

Customers must contact Child Support directly, either online or by phone, to apply for a child support assessment.

Customers can make an application for a child support assessment online via:

• the Services Australia website, or
• their myGov account, if they are an existing Child Support customer

See the Resources page for Services Australia website and myGov links.

If the customer advises they are privately collecting 100% of an overseas court ordered amount, and the payer is:

• overseas in either a non-reciprocating or excluded jurisdiction, or
• in a reciprocating jurisdiction

Refer to Action to obtain child support when the paying parent is overseas - Maintenance Action Test (MAT) for more details and what to tell the customer.

From 1 July 2008, as part of the Child Support Scheme Reforms, Child Support changed how they assess customers for child support purposes. The main change is where customers share the care of a child or each have one or more children in care, there is now only one child support case rather than 2.

As part of the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework, Services Australia has developed Child Safe Policy May 2019. The policy outlines the agency’s commitment to creating an environment that safeguards children under 18 years of age during their interactions with the agency.

The Parent Support Team (PST) manages Child Support customers who are a parent or carer and under 18 years of age. PST management continues until the customer turns 18 years of age.

To transfer customers on the phone to PST who fit the criteria, see Customer Referral Guidelines (CRG) - Child Support > Parent Support Team (PST).

If a customer provides care for a child and they are not the parent, they may be able to apply for Child Support from both of the child's parents. Examples of non-parent carers include legal guardians, grandparents or other family members.

There is no MAT requirement for these customers if they elect not to apply, however they still may wish to apply for an assessment. If an assessment is commenced for a non-parent carer the Maintenance Income Test (MIT) will apply as per normal.

Customers can apply for a non-parent carer child support assessment if they:

• care for a child 128 nights or more a year (35% or more care), and
• are not considered to be a member of a couple with one of the child's parent

Parents of an eligible child may also make a formal agreement for child support and have the agreement registered by Child Support.

Customers are to contact Child Support directly, either online or by phone, to apply for a child support assessment. Refer the customer to Child Support. For contact details, see Child Support.