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Stage 1– low-income non-enforcement (LINE) period 277-05050000

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This document outlines information about the application of a LINE period for Stage 1 Child Support cases, including overseas liabilities.

Stage 1 - LINE period

A payer can apply to suspend an Australian court order or court registered agreement for child maintenance and a child and/or spousal maintenance order made by, or a child and/or spousal maintenance agreement registered by, a judicial authority of a reciprocating jurisdiction where:

  • the payer receives or has applied for a Centrelink pension or benefit and meets the Prescribed Income Test, and
  • in the case of an Australian child maintenance liability, the court order or court registered agreement does not provide for a reduction in liability due to unemployment or reduced income

Note: payers who are only in receipt of Parental Leave Payments will not be eligible to suspend their Australian court order or court registered agreement or overseas court order or court registered agreement. This is because although in most cases Centrelink administers this entitlement. It is not considered a Centrelink pension or benefit.

This period of suspension is called a low-income non-enforcement (LINE) period. A LINE period ends when the payer is no longer in receipt of a Centrelink pension or benefit, or no longer meets the Prescribed Income Test (PIT).

Child Support has been able to accept an application from a payer to not enforce an overseas child or spousal maintenance order or court registered agreement since July 2007.

The Resources page contains a macro used in completing LINE Period processing.

Contact with Child Support customers

Documentation Cuba Process Help

Letters Cuba Process Help

Low-income non-enforcement (LINE) period Cuba Process Help