Eighteen year old children extending a child support assessment 277-03080000

An application to extend an assessment beyond a child's eighteenth birthday should be made by the carer entitled to child support for that child before the child turns 18 years of age.

Only children studying full-time secondary education are eligible for an extension. Not tertiary education, see Step 9.

Note: a parent may be a carer entitled to child support for a child, but be assessed as the overall payer because of other children in the other parent’s care. The payer is able to lodge an application for the child in their care.

Where both parents are eligible carers, neither parent may have a liability to pay child support if the annual rate for both parents is $0. In such cases, either eligible carer can apply to extend the assessment for the child. An application to have a relevant dependent child recognised in the child support assessment beyond the child’s eighteenth birthday should be made by the child’s parent before the child turns 18 years of age.

Care suspensions

A customer may lodge an application to extend the assessment beyond the child’s eighteenth birthday when they are not a carer entitled to child support due to a pending care determination. For more information on taking an application see Table 2, Step 5.

‘Claimed for’ children

If a customer applies on a day on which the assessment is later suspended due to a change in care advised outside of 28 days, the application cannot be accepted. The system will automatically set the application to invalid via an overnight batch run and issue letters to the customers.

If the automatic process cannot be run due to case circumstances, intrays will generate to prompt eligibility to be manually run or letters to be manually issued.
Do not manually set the application to invalid.

Relevant dependent children

If a customer applies for a relevant dependent child to be included in a child support assessment beyond their eighteenth birthday and the customer’s care of the child drops below 35% due to a change in care advised outside of 28 days, do not accept the application. Manually reject the application and document the application is invalid. See Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help.

Lodgement after a child turns 18 years of age

Although an application can be made after the child turns 18 years of age, the assessment/relevant dependent allowance can only be extended if there were exceptional circumstances which prevented the making of the application before the child’s eighteenth birthday. See References > Policy.

Immediately consider whether exceptional circumstances exist and document that decision in Cuba. If a decision is made that exceptional circumstances:

• do exist (or may exist, but evidence is required), follow the usual process steps ensuring the correct application status is keyed as outlined in the Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help
• do not exist, immediately refuse the application, see Table 3, Step 2

A late application must always be recorded, regardless of whether the application may be accepted or refused.

Offer customers the option to apply for a late application when they enquire. Explain when and how a late application is accepted. The delegation to accept or refuse to accept a late application for assessment or agreement to continue beyond the child's 18th birthday is APS4 and above. See Table 2, Step 5.

Before a child turns 18 years of age, an automatic letter is sent to customers (both private collect and child support collect). The letter advises customers of their options in relation to their 18 year old child. The letter also advises customers that their Family Tax Benefit (FTB) payments may be affected and that more information is available on the Services Australia website.

Where the letter is issued online, customers will receive a myGov message (below) encouraging them to take action. The message will differ slightly where the child is a child of the assessment or a relevant dependent child. The message contains a link to view the relevant letter, and links to the application form and information on how to apply on the servicesaustralia.gov.au website.

Message in relation to child of assessment:

Hello (customer name)
We know that you have a child/ren turning 18 years of age soon.
Child support ends when a child turns 18. However, if the child continues in full-time secondary education after they turn 18, you can apply to extend child support to the end of the school year. You must do this before they turn 18.
What you can do
Read the letter below and apply before your child turns 18. To apply, click on the link below ‘Apply to extend child support past a child’s 18th birthday’
Regards
Child Support

If a customer is on tracing, or no payments have been received in the last 12 months, an Over 18 advice Letters Pended intray item is generated and routed to the customer's owning case officer. These cases will need further investigation.

In some cases, this letter is not automatically generated, or is sent incorrectly, offering an ineligible parent the option of extending the child support assessment for the child turning 18 years of age.

In the event a:

• customer makes contact about an incorrectly issued letter, apologise for any confusion that may have been caused and advise them of their options
• over 18 advice letter does not generate, consideration should be given to accepting a late application in accordance with the exceptional circumstances provisions. Contact a Service Support Officer (SSO) to discuss any cases that arise

Applications can be made:

• verbally
• via Child Support online account
• on the form, or
• in writing

The Resources page has a link to the form.

Known Cuba error

In some instances a customer may lodge an online application to extend Child Support for a child turning 18 and the information does not transfer from Pluto to Cuba.

If a customer advises they lodged an application and there is no record in Cuba:

• ask the customer to provide the transaction receipt of the Online History from their Child Support online History tab, and
• check Pluto interactions

If it is confirmed the customer lodge an application, see Table 2.

If a customer has made an application in writing or over the phone, confirm the child:

• is turning 18 years of age, and
• will be attending full-time secondary school after they turn 18 years of age

Record all applications, including late applications. See the Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help.

If the application was lodged via Child Support online account, go to Step 4

If the child support assessment is based on:

• an agreement, go to Step 5
• a court order, go to Step 6
• a Change of Assessment, go to Step 8
• a formula assessment, see Table 2

Where an application is made via Child Support online account, the details will automatically load to the Customer Application List window in Cuba, with a Pending status. A letter will automatically be sent to the other party. The letter will advise they have 14 days to contact Child Support if they disagree.

If the application is not disputed within 21 days, most applications will automatically be accepted and applied. Service Officers will not receive notification and generally, no manual actions will be required. If contact with both parents is made prior to the 21 days, and the application is not disputed, advise the customers the application will be accepted automatically in 21 days from lodgement and they will receive letters to confirm. No further action is required.

There are known issues where this outcome is not automatically applied by Cuba, and manual intervention is required. See Table 3, Step 5.

If a customer applies on a day on which the assessment is later suspended, due to a change in care advised outside of 28 days, the application cannot be accepted. The system will automatically set the application to invalid via an overnight batch run. Where the automatic process cannot be run due to case circumstances, intrays will generate to prompt eligibility to be manually run, or letters to be manually issued.

Child Support online account A18 applications are not available for assessments with:

• International customers
• Agreements
• Court orders, or
• an accepted Change of Assessment

The online form only allows customers to make an application for eligible children. Listed children who cannot be selected have a corresponding reason explaining why they are not eligible for an A18 extension.

If the child support assessment is based on:

• an agreement, go to Step 5
• a court order, go to Step 6
• a Change of Assessment, go to Step 8
• a formula assessment, see Table 2

If customers apply to extend an initiating agreement, it must be in writing or on the form. There are different application rules depending on the type and terms of the agreement.

The Resources page has a link to the form.

Extending an assessment where an agreement is in place is not available when applying via Child Support online account.

Initiating Binding Agreement - with no end date

If the agreement has initiated the child support assessment and the agreement does not specify an end date or specifies an end date after the child’s eighteenth birthday, both customers must apply in writing to extend their agreement past the child’s eighteenth birthday. The agreement will continue until the end of the school year in which the child turns 18 years of age. Unless a joint application is made, a terminating event occurs when the child turns 18.

Initiating Binding Agreement - with end date

If the agreement has initiated the child support assessment and it specifies that the agreement is to end when the child turns 18 years of age or some other specified date prior to the child’s eighteenth birthday, the agreement cannot be extended, even if both customers apply. If the child is not yet 18 years of age, the customers may make a new agreement to end the agreement and then either enter into a new agreement or make an application for an administrative assessment.

Note: if the agreement has initiated the child support assessment and the agreement ends, the assessment will end when the agreement ends. Check if an assessment registration has been recorded and is active. If so, update the end date of the assessment registration so that it ends on the same date as the initiating agreement.

Non - initiating agreement (Binding Agreement or Limited Agreement) - no end date

If the agreement:

• was accepted when there was an administrative assessment on the case, and
• does not specify that the agreement ends when the child turns 18 years of age

The carer entitled to child support can apply to extend the assessment:

• as modified by the agreement
• to the end of the school year in which the child turns 18 years of age

Non-initiating agreement (Binding Agreement or Limited Agreement) - with end date

If the agreement was accepted when there was an administrative assessment on the case and the agreement specifies that the agreement ends when the child turns 18 years of age, the carer entitled to child support can apply to extend the underlying formula assessment to the end of the school year in which the child turns 18 years of age.

The References page has a link to the Child Support Guide 2.5.5 for more information about applications to have an assessment continue past a child's eighteenth birthday.

Manual intervention may be required to key the application and make the final decision including the extension of any modifications to the formula. For more information, see Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help and seek SSO support.

Determine what type of order applies to the child of the case.

For departure orders, the order to change the assessment will end under section 142 of the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 when a terminating event occurs. The effect of an application to extend child support is to delay that terminating event, so the Court Varied Assessment lasts for as long as the assessment does.

The References page has links to the Child Support Guide. There is information about terminating events, and applications and orders about decisions under the Assessment Act.

If the child on the assessment is covered by a Court Varied Assessment, (departure orders made under Part 7 of the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989) then:

• the carer entitled to child support can apply to extend the assessment in the normal way and will not need to apply to court to have the assessment extended, or
• the customer can apply to extend a relevant dependent child in an assessment in the normal way

If the court order states that the departure is to continue until:

• the child’s eighteenth birthday, the application will be accepted and the assessment will revert to the formula
• a terminating event occurs, the application will be accepted and the assessment will continue as per the terms of the court order

Note: Child Maintenance Orders are made under the Family Law Act 1975 for children who are not eligible for an administrative assessment under the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989. If there is a Child Maintenance Order and the child turns 18 years of age, see An event occurs that will end a Child Support case or liability.

Manual intervention may be required to key the application and make the final decision including the extension of any modifications to the formula. For more information, see Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help and seek SSO support.

If the assessment is based on a COA decision, determine when the decision ends.

If the COA decision is to end when the child:

• reaches 18 years of age, and an extension application is accepted, Cuba will generate an assessment based on the formula assessment that is unmodified by the previous COA decision
• completes secondary school or with the happening of a terminating event, the decision will continue if an application to extend the assessment is accepted

Manual intervention may be required to key the application and make the final decision including the extension of any modifications to the formula. For more information, see Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help and seek SSO support.

'Full-time secondary education' means education that is determined, by the secondary school at which the child is receiving the education, to be full-time secondary education.

'Secondary school' means a school, TAFE college, or any other educational institution, which provides full-time secondary education. A secondary school also includes a school that caters for the needs of children with learning difficulties and provides a form of education that is not tertiary education.

School holidays

A child will be considered to be in 'full-time secondary education' during periods that are prescribed by the school to be a term, semester or school holiday break, and where it is intended that the child will continue their secondary education after the end of the holiday.

The last day of the secondary school year is either:

• If the child is not required to sit an examination, the last day of classes for the school year in the calendar year the child turns 18 (as determined by the school), or
• If the child is required to sit an examination, the later of:
• the last day of the period of examinations for the child's year level in the calendar year in which the child turns 18, and
• the last day of classes for the school year in the calendar year in which the child turns 18 (as determined by the school)

The last day of the secondary school year may be different from child to child. The customer applying to extend the assessment must provide the date of the last day of the secondary school year.

The Resources page has a table of Australian state/territory Department of Education websites. This contains some of the examination and term dates and additional resources relating to extending a child support assessment.

The References page has a link to the Child Support Guide 2.5.5.

Repeating a school year

If a child repeats a year of secondary education, the Registrar can continue a child support assessment for the child, up to the last day of the repeated secondary school year where the child's 18th birthday will occur in that repeated school year.

Example 1

James completes Year 12 on 30 November 2023. James turns 18 on 2 January 2024. James repeats Year 12 in 2024 and that school year ends 15 December 2024. The assessment can be extended to 15 December 2024.

Example 2

Oliver completes Year 12 on 30 November 2023. Oliver turns 18 on 15 November 2023. Oliver repeats Year 12 the following year and that school year ends 10 December 2024. The assessment can be extended to 30 November 2023. Even though Oliver will enrol in a full-time secondary education the next year, he turns 18 2023 calendar year and the assessment can only be extended to the last day of the 2023 school year.

Child turns 18 during end of year holiday period

Example 3

Uma completes Year 11 on 15 December 2023. Uma will commence Year 12 on 1 February 2024 and finishes Year 12 on 30 November 2024. Uma turns 18 on 31 January 2024. The assessment can be extended to 30 November 2024as Uma turned 18 in the 2024 calendar year.

Example 4

James completes Year 11 on 15 December 2023. James will commence Year 12 on 1 February 2024. James turns 18 on 20 December 2023. The assessment cannot be extended as James turns 18 in the 2023 calendar year.

School year or year level spanning 2 calendar years - including examples

For most students the school year falls within a calendar year. Some secondary schools have a school year that spans 2 calendar years. This may include a school that elects to commence year 12 in the final term of the preceding year or a school in the northern hemisphere. The Registrar can continue a child support assessment for a child attending these schools up to the last day of school in the calendar year in which the child turns 18.

Commencement of a school year is determined by the secondary school at which a child is enrolled.

Example 5

At Charlie’s school, year 12 commences in Term 4 (October 2023) and the last day of classes for the year is 30 November 2023. Charlie turns 18 on 5 November 2023. Charlie continues year 12 studies in 2024 and the last day of classes for year 12 is August 2024. The assessment can be extended until 30 November 2023 as this is the last day of classes in the calendar year in which Charlie turns 18.

Example 6

At Jo’s school, year 12 commences in Term 4 (6 October 2023). Jo turns 18 on 15 February 2024. Jo continues year 12 studies in 2024 and the last day of classes for year 12 is September 2024. Jo is required to sit year 12 examinations in October 2024. The school has advised the last day of exams is 31 October 2024. The assessment can be extended until the end of October 2024 as this is the last day of exams and this date falls within the calendar year in which Jo turns 18.

Example 7

At Jesse’s school, year 12 commences in Term 4. Term 3 finishes on 1 October 2023 and Jesse commences Year 12 in Term 4 on 18 October 2023. Jesse turns 18 on 12 October 2023 during the school holidays. The assessment can be extended to the last day of classes in the 2023 calendar year.

Example 8

Astrid lives in the UK where the school year starts in July and ends in June the next year. Astrid turns 18 in November 2023. The assessment can be extended to the last day of classes in 2023 as the calendar year in which Astrid turns 18.

Exact date not provided

If the exact date of the commencement or last day of the secondary school year has not been provided, contact the customer to request this information. As the customer may need to contact the school or relevant educational authorities to determine the date, ask the customer to provide a date within 7 days (or 14 days if the customer cannot be contacted by phone, and a please contact letter is sent).

If the customer cannot provide the exact date for the last day of the secondary school year, they should provide a date as close as possible to the actual last day. Explain to the customer, it is their responsibility to advise Child Support, if they later find the date will be different. If they do not advise of the change, there could be adverse effects such as arrears or overpayments, (depending on whether the correct date is earlier or later than the date originally provided).

Advise the customer if an exact date, or a reasonable approximate date, is not provided within the specified timeframe, a decision will be made to refuse the application. Document this advice.

Revised date provided after application accepted

If Child Support is later notified of a revised last day of the secondary school year (and that date is accepted to be more accurate), the Service Officer must take action to change the date via the Correcting errors on Child Support cases process. This is not the same as a child withdrawing from full-time secondary school prior to the last day of the school year. If that occurs, it is a terminating event. See Table 3, Step 9.

See Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help for details on recording applications, including late applications.

Once the application is recorded with a status of 'Pending', a letter will be sent to the other party advising that an application is lodged. If the other party disagrees with the application, they must contact Child Support within 14 days and evidence may be required.

If the other party does not dispute the application within 14 days, the child support assessment/recognition of the child will be extended until the last day of the secondary school year in the calendar year in which the child turned 18. In most cases, Cuba will automatically extend the assessment 21 days after the application is first pended.

Note: in some cases, accepted extension applications are not automatically applied by Cuba. This results in the child support assessments not being extended. In some scenarios this outcome can be avoided during the application stage. Go to Step 5.

If the other party contacts Services Australia, discuss the facts as stated by the applicant. If they:

• disagree with the application, go to Step 3
• agree with the facts, go to Step 5

If the other party does not agree on the application details, ask both customers for evidence to support their claims, and ensure the application status is recorded as Evidence Required. This will generate an Over 18 Extension process (O18EVRQ) intray.

Note: this status change means Cuba will not make an automated decision. Therefore a manual decision, including saving eligibility manually, will be required at the end of the process.

Clarify with the other party:

• Is the child in full-time secondary education
• What is the last day of the school year for this child in the calendar year in which the child turns 18
• What exceptional circumstances existed if the application was made after the child turned 18 year of age. For further information about exceptional circumstances, see References - Child Support Guide 2.5.5

The last day of the secondary school year may be different from child to child.
Identify which is the later date between:

• the last day of the exam period for the child’s year level, and
• the last day of classes for the secondary school year, as determined by the school

The Resources page has a table of Australian state/territory Department of Education websites. Use this to support good decision making about the correct end date for exam periods and secondary studies.
The References page has a link to the Child Support Guide 2.5.5.

To determine what types of evidence can be considered, go to Step 4.

The other party may not be able to obtain independent evidence about the child/ren in the applicant's care. In these cases, the primary source of independent evidence could be the secondary school the child is attending.

Third parties, such as schools, can be contacted to request information such as the commencement date or last day of that school’s year. The Department of Education of the relevant state/territory can be contacted to determine the last day of the exam period for the child’s year level. If necessary, request the information using a notice issued under section 161 of the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989.

In this context, the term independent evidence can include evidence obtained from independent third parties by the parent. For example, the parent may have documents from the school with details of their child’s studies.

If there is a dispute about an easily proven fact, such as the name of a course, it may be appropriate to put the onus on the parent to substantiate their claims before accepting the application.

Some education institutions conduct both secondary and tertiary courses. Contact the institution and ask if the child's course is classified as secondary education. A school year may extend beyond a calendar year but the assessment can only be extended to the last day of classes or exams in the calendar year in which the child turns 18 If required, contact the institution and confirm the commencement date of the school year.

Note: take care when disclosing the name of the school to the other party. Check for indicators this information should not be disclosed.

Go to Step 5.

When reviewing or actioning an application at any stage, there are several potential issues to consider.

Case is about to end

When manually recording an application, check the date the case ends. If the application is pended within 21 days of the child turning 18 years of age and the case is due to end before the application can be automatically accepted by Cuba, manual intervention is required. A Liability Calculation Required intray sometimes generates as a prompt, but this does not always occur.

If it is identified that the case will end prior to the application being finalised, create a General Follow Up intray (including notes about the application, case end date and the potential need to give effect to the decision manually). At the end of the 21 day period check the assessment and, if required, save eligibility manually to give effect to the decision. If required seek SSO support.

Automatic acceptance does not occur

A known Cuba issue exists where some applications are not automatically accepted 21 days after the application is first pended. This issue can occur at all times (that is, regardless of whether it is a formula or departure assessment, or the application is pended manually or via Child Support online account, or the pending occurs more or less than 21 days prior to the case ending). When this issue occurs, one of the following 2 intrays will generate:

• Liability Calculation Required
• Manual Decision Required with the following intray notes:
• Cuba cannot automatically finalise a pended application. Check the application details and the eligibility pre-confirmation results. If a departure is in place, seek support from your SSO to ensure the extension is applied correctly. Eligibility must be saved manually to give effect to the outcome

Both of these intrays should be actioned the same way because they are a prompt about:

• checking the application details and outcome displayed in the eligibility pre-confirmation window in Cuba, and
• applying the decision by manually saving eligibility

If required seek SSO support.

Letters did not generate in the automatic process

In some situations when the application is made invalid, the automated process will not generate letters. Where this happens the following intray generates:

• CLKCARE:
• There will be a notepad in the intray confirming that invalid letters need to be generated manually
• See Table 3, Step 8

Agreement, court order or COA extension

If an application is made to extend an agreement, court order or change of assessment, manual intervention may be required to key the application and make the final decision, including the extension of any modifications to the formula. See Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help for further information and seek SSO support.

Late applications made after the child turns 18 years of age

The delegation to accept or refuse a late application, after a child's 18^th birthday, for assessment/agreement to continue in exceptional circumstances is APS4 and above.

Note: late applications must be recorded, regardless of whether the application may be accepted or refused.

If exceptional circumstances exist which prevented the making of the application before the child turned 18 years of age, manual intervention may be required to key the application and make the final decision. Go to Step 1 or see Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help and seek SSO support.

If a decision is made that no exceptional circumstances exist and the application is refused, document the decision on the system immediately after the application is refused.

On ended cases Cuba will not automatically generate refusal letters.

Issue the following manual letters to advise customers of objection rights after the refusal decision is processed on the system:

UQ6.00 - Refused 18 year old extension

UQ6.02 - Invalid 18 year old extension

Application received while care determination is pending

A customer may lodge an application to extend the assessment beyond the child’s 18th birthday while they are not a carer entitled to child support, due to a pending care determination. Take the application and document the details in the case window.

Create a Manual decision required intray with the following notes: Unable to load the application into Cuba until the care determination has been finalised. Once the care determination has been finalised, record the application, see Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help.

Once these potential errors have been considered, see Table 3.

If there is likely to be any impact on the customer’s FTB, go to Step 6

If the customer is receiving FTB payments for the child and any of the following apply:

• the application is not processed before the child turns 18 years of age
• the application cannot be accepted
• the application has been refused and an objection is unlikely to change the outcome

Refer the customer to Centrelink using the Services Australia Workspace. Centrelink will refer the customer to the Level 2 Policy help desk, to determine if an exemption to the Maintenance Action Test can be applied.

The application can be accepted if satisfied that the:

• application has been made by a carer entitled to child support (or the relevant customer if it is a relevant dependent child application)
• child has turned 17 years of age (if the child is not yet 17 years of age at the time of application it must be rejected)
• application was made before the child’s 18th birthday or there were exceptional circumstances justifying a later application. See References - Child Support Guide 2.5.5
• child is likely to be in full-time secondary education on their 18th birthday.
  This includes periods that are prescribed by the school to be a term, semester or school holiday break, and where it is intended that the child will continue their secondary education after the end of the holiday
• the child is a relevant dependent child and the parent has at least shared care of the child
• administrative assessment, including 1 varied by an agreement or court order, or an initiating agreement (an agreement initiated the assessment) in relation to the child is in force or is likely to be in force, on the day before the child's 18th birthday

Make the decision to accept or refuse the application.

If:

• there is no agreement in place for the child, the application to extend the child support assessment can be lodged by the carer entitled to child support only – the assessment will continue based on the child support formula
• there is an initiating agreement in place for the child and the agreement does not specify that the agreement ends when, or before, the child turns 18 years of age, the application to extend the agreement must be signed by the applicant and the other parties to the agreement - the assessment will continue based on the agreement
• there is an initiating agreement in place for the child and the agreement does specify that the agreement ends when, or before, the child turns 18 years of age - the agreement cannot be extended and a terminating event occurs when the child turns 18
• there is a non-initiating agreement in place for the child and the agreement does not specify the agreement ends when, or before, the child turns 18 years of age, the application can be lodged by the carer entitled to child support only - the assessment will continue based on the agreement, or
• there is a non-initiating agreement in place for the child and the agreement does specify the agreement ends when, or before, the child turns 18 years of age, the application can be lodged by the carer entitled to child support only - the assessment will continue based on the child support formula

If the application is to extend recognition of the relevant dependent child in the assessment, the application can be lodged by the relevant customer only.

Both customers have the right to object to the decision, whether the application was granted or refused.

Note: if payments are being collected from the other party, review the method of collection before processing the decision to ensure the collection will continue.

The only reason an application should be set to invalid

The application cannot be accepted and must be made invalid if the application was:

• lodged by the customer on a day they were entitled to receive child support, and
• the assessment is later suspended on that day, due to a change in care advised outside of 28 days

In these circumstances, neither customer is able to object to the decision to make the application invalid.

A new application can be made by the person who is now entitled to receive child support. If the child has already turned 18, they must support their application with exceptional circumstances outlining why they did not lodge their application before the child turned 18. For further information about exceptional circumstances, see References - Child Support Guide 2.5.5

See Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help.

If the assessment is based on a COA decision, check the case liability rates on the Eligibility window to determine if the correct assessment is being used.

Check for fixed annual rate (FAR) not to apply, reduce minimum annual rate (RMA), post separation income and other variations to the assessment prior to the acceptance of the application. Consideration must be given to whether these variations should be applied to the extended period.

Advise the customer:

If child support assessments are based on a provisional income or an estimate of income once the relevant tax assessments become available, Child Support may:

• review and/or reconcile these estimates, and
• replace provisional incomes

This may result in arrears or overpayment. This is the case even if the case is ending or the child is finishing school.

Note: estimates are automatically reconciled when a customer’s income tax assessment issues for the relevant year. Encourage customers to lodge tax returns on time each year because it means that their estimates will be reconciled promptly.

If the:

• assessment has been transmitted to another country for collection, ensure that a letter has been sent to this country explaining the change. This letter must be sent by the International Central Authority Team.
  See Customer referral guidelines, Provide or request information on a case referred to child support for enforcement or sent to another Overseas Authority (excluding NZ)
• payer lives in New Zealand, an amended certificate must be sent to the Government of New Zealand (New Zealand Inland Revenue Child Support).
  See Customer referral guidelines, International Services, NZ case updates

If the payer is currently linked for employer deductions, lock the customer as Cuba will automatically end employer deductions (delink). Determine if the customer should be relinked. If so, send a linking referral. For more information, see Employer Withholding (linking) for Child Support customers.

For all Child Support online account and phone applications (that are not disputed), Cuba will automatically update the status from 'Pending' to 'Accepted' and run eligibility after 21 days. This automated process means the extension of the assessment as well as the generation of the decision letters and assessment notices to both parties will generally occur without Service Officer intervention. A notepad will not generate for this type of automatic transaction.

If a customer applies on a day on which the assessment is later suspended due to a change in care advised outside of 28 days, the application cannot be accepted.

The system will automatically set the application as invalid via an overnight batch run. Where the automatic process cannot be run due to case circumstances, intrays will generate to:

• prompt eligibility to be manually run, or
• letters to be manually issued

However, there are a few known issues where this outcome is not automatically applied by Cuba and manual intervention is required.

When the investigation has been completed on a disputed application, finalise the application in the Customer Application Details window. For more information, see Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help.

Document the reasons for the decision including the legislative reference used to make the decision in the Customer Application Details window. See Documenting Child Support information.

Go to Step 8.

An applicant may choose to withdraw an application before it is accepted, for example, the child will no longer be completing school after they turn 18 years of age. This can only be done via the phone and must occur within 21 days of the original application, as Cuba will automatically accept the application.

Once the application has been withdrawn, contact the other party to advise the application to extend child support beyond the child's 18th birthday has been withdrawn. Document the decision. For more information, see Child over eighteen Cuba Process Help.

If the customer chooses to withdraw the application on the day of lodgement, do not contact the other party. Delete the pending letter from the other party’s letter list.

If an application is accepted, Cuba will automatically generate the following letters to notify the customers of the decision.

MSE1-1 letters automatically generate to advise:

• an application for the assessment or agreement to continue beyond the claimed for child's 18th birthday, or
• an application to extend recognition of a relevant dependent child beyond the child's 18th birthday has been accepted

Assessment notices or Agreement notices will be included as appropriate.

MSE1-2 letters automatically generate to advise:

• an application to extend an assessment or agreement to continue beyond the claimed for child's 18th birthday has been refused, or
• an application to extend recognition of a relevant dependent child beyond the child's 18th birthday has been refused

Check each customer's letters list to ensure the refusal letters have automatically generated in Cuba.

If the refusal letters did not generate, create a unique letter:

• UQ6.00 - Refused 18 year old extension
• UQ6.02 - Invalid 18 year old extension

See Letters Cuba Process Help, Create a unique letter using pre-approved text and free text.

If a customer's address is marked as invalid, contact the payer if there is a valid phone number to update the address details by phone. If contact is unsuccessful, take tracing action. For proactive customer location activities, see Customer location (tracing).

• Child leaves school earlier than expected

Sometimes a child leaves school before the extension end date that had been accepted by Child Support. Go to Step 10.

• New information leads to a revised extension end date

Sometimes the end date of the assessment must be changed due to new information being confirmed. Go to Step 11.

A terminating event occurs on the later of the day after the child stopped going to school or the day the child turns 18, if the child:

• leaves school after they have turned 18 years of age, but before the end of the school year, or
• leaves school after the application has been accepted, but before the child turns 18 years of age

Example

Child A’s birthdate is 27 May 2005. They will turn 18 years of age on 27 May 2023.

An extension has been in place for child A until the end of the secondary school year - 15 November 2023.

On 12 August 2023, Child Support is told that child A ceased school on 19 July 2023 and is now working.

The information is confirmed by both parents.

A terminating event occurred for child A on 19 July 2023.

Amending the end date of the child support assessment.

Reject the current end date (15 November 2023) before the new end date (19 July 2023) is recorded.

Select the relevant extension > Open

In the Customer Application Details window:

• change the Status to ‘Refused’, select Save
• do not save eligibility
• add the new Last Day of the School Year, select Save
• change new date’s status to ‘Accepted’

Note: this action ensures the information is provided to Centrelink.

Run Eligibility and consider the pre-confirmation result

If the pre-confirmation result indicates the case will:

• end correctly, select Save:
• The assessment and liabilities will reflect the new end date
• Procedure ends here
• not end correctly, seek SSO support

Record the reasons for changing the end date due to the terminating event in the notepad of the Customer Application Details window.

The child is removed from the assessment from 19 July 2023 and the case ends for that child on that date.

Is there a dispute about the child ending secondary education?

• Yes, before giving effect to the terminating event contact the school to confirm the details. The Resources page has a table of Australian state/territory Department of Education websites
• No, a terminating event will occur, go to Step 12

Sometimes Child Support learns the date previously accepted as the end of the school year for the child is disputed or inaccurate.

• Contact both parties to discuss new extension end date information
• Seek evidence. The Resources page has a table of Australian state/territory Department of Education websites

For example:

• A child will be 18 years of age on 27 May 2023. An extension is in place until the end of the school year on 15 December 2023
• On 21 October 2023, the payer advises the last exam is on 19 November 2023 and the child will not attend school after that
  The payee disputes the information
• The school confirms the child will not attend school after 19 November 2023

Take action to administratively change the end date if:

• an application under section 151B to extend the assessment has been approved, and
• a revised last day of secondary school is accepted

Amend end date:

• make the decision about changing the end date, follow the process in Correcting errors on Child Support cases
• process the change on the system, go to Step 12

Reject the current end date before recording a new end date.

Select the relevant extension > Open

In the Customer Application Details window:

• change the Status to ‘Refused’, select Save
• do not save eligibility
• add the new Last Day of the School Year, select Save
• change new date’s status to ‘Accepted’

Note: this action ensures the information is provided to Centrelink.

Run Eligibility and consider the pre-confirmation result.

Does the pre-confirmation result indicate the case will end correctly?

• Yes, select Save. The assessment and liabilities will reflect the new end date. Procedure ends here.
• No, the case appears to be ending incorrectly. Seek SSO support

Record the reasons for changing the end date in the notepad of the Customer Application Details window.