Waivers for Child Support customers 277-04380000

A waiver is a special concession granted to a person or organisation that cancels a debt owed to the Commonwealth. This means the debt can no longer be collected by the Commonwealth.

Debts to the Commonwealth include:

• child support arrears
• overpayments
• court costs and
• consolidated revenue debts

Debt waiver is used only when all administrative options likely to affect the debt have been exhausted. The decision is discretionary. There is no automatic entitlement to waive a debt.

All outstanding administrative actions or avenues of appeal affecting the customer's debt should be finalised before a waiver request is considered.

The Finance Minister and delegated decision makers in the Department of Finance (Finance) have the authority to waive Commonwealth debts. The role of the Services Australia is to:

• investigate the circumstances that gave rise to the debt
• prepare a recommendation to Finance, and
• action the decision made by Finance

A customer's penalties may be remitted if Finance authorise the waiver of their debt. See Child Support late payment and estimate penalties.

Work associated with waiver applications is managed by these business areas

Customer Compensation Team

• Record and allocate waivers
• Provide waiver submissions and associated documentation to Finance.
• Manage relationship with Finance

Service Officer in Deceased Customer Management

• Customer contact
• Complete Deceased Child Support Customer Management process (or confirm that it has been completed)
• Prepare briefs to assist with waiver recommendations

External Complaints – Child Support

• Customer contact
• Prepare submissions to assist with waiver recommendations
• Research and prepare recommendations for waivers requests
• Implement approved waiver decisions

Child Support Program Branch

• Prepare submissions to assist with waiver recommendations
• Research and prepare recommendations for deceased customer waiver requests
• Provide advice and guidance to Deceased Customer Management and External Complaints – Child Support
• Implement approved waiver decisions

Assistant Director or Service Support Manager (SSM) – EL 1 or above

• Approve the recommendation to Finance
• Review waiver submissions