Updating Child Support customer information 277-01080000

Section 13 of the Child Support Registration and Collection Act 1988 requires the Registrar to keep a register of information - known as the Child Support Register. Section 26 specifies which particulars are required and are able to be entered into the Register.

A range of events make it necessary to change entries in the Register. These include personal information covered in this document.

This document will help ensure that:

• an accurate decision is made on the information received and particulars entered into or varied in the Register (parents have objection rights)
• both parents are fully informed of any changes
• both parents understand the changes to their registered maintenance liability (if any)

The Western Australian parliament referred its law making powers to the Commonwealth for WA ex-nuptial children on 15 May 2019.

This means that legislatively from 15 May 2019, there is no longer a distinction between WA ex-nuptial children and all other child support children.

Before 15 May 2019, where a payee moved from WA to another state, the case would no longer be WA ex-nuptial from the date they became a resident in the new state. Similarly, when a payee with ex-nuptial children moved to WA, the case became WA ex-nuptial from the date the payee became a WA resident.

The rules for WA ex-nuptial children were different depending on when the Western Australian parliament adopted legislation and any reforms throughout the history of the scheme. See WA child support ex-nuptial cases for more information about actions required on these cases for WA ex-nuptial periods.

The WA ex-nuptial indicator on Cuba is only updated at the start of each child support period. If a payee moved to Western Australia or out of Western Australia during a child support period, the indicator may be incorrect. If this is the case, seek help from a Service Support Officer (SSO).

The system was enhanced on 18 June 2022 to automatically treat WA ex-nuptial customers correctly prospectively where:

• Child Support (CS) periods are automatically raised on or after 18 June 2022
• New cases are registered or cases are restarted with a Start date of liability (SDOL) on or after 18 June 2022

As this enhancement was prospective, continue to refer WA ex-nuptial customers that need workarounds where:

• care is notified outside of 28 days - late notified care change
• disputed care - possible interim period - is notified
• an amended tax assessment is lodged
• a payee is entitled to child support under an agreement. The care they have of the child in the agreement falls below 35%