Child Support covers expenses for children such as food, housing, clothes, school costs and other activities. Parents are otherwise generally required to each bear the costs of raising their children when they are in their care.
What Does Child Support Not Cover in Australia? The child support amount in Australia is usually insufficient to fund costs such as extracurricular activities, private tuition fees, private health insurance and additional costs due to a child's special needs.
Child support as assessed by the Child Support Agency formula is meant to cover all expenses for children including food, housing, schooling, clothing and extra-curricular activities.
IF I PAY CHILD SUPPORT, DO I STILL HAVE TO BUY MY KIDS CLOTHES? THE SHORT ANSWER IS, YES.
In most cases, the payment of school fees is separate to that of child maintenance payments.
2. It's unfair to hard-working parents. Australia's child support formula is generally unfair to parents who earn a good income. Every dollar that's given to one parent because they have a lower income is a dollar taken from the main financial contributor.
2. What is the maximum child support in Australia? You can calculate the maximum child support amount using the combined income of both parents, up to 2.5 times the annual equivalent of the Male Total Average Weekly Earnings, as well as the Costs of Children Table.
The fixed rate for child support periods starting on or after 1 January 2022 is $1,521 per child per year. If you pay the fixed rate for more than 3 children, we'll cap the amount at 3 times the fixed rate. If you pay the fixed rate to more than one person, we divide the amount between those receiving parents.
In Australia shared custody means that the non-residential parent pays child support to the residential parent. In the case of a 50/50 split, the higher earner usually pays child support to the lower earner to ensure the children's standard of living is the same in both locations.
On the basic rate, if you're paying for: one child, you'll pay 12% of your gross weekly income. two children, you'll pay 16% of your gross weekly income. three or more children, you'll pay 19% of your gross weekly income.
We work out each parent's income percentage by dividing each income by the combined total. We calculate each parent's percentage of care. We work out each parent's cost percentage using the Care and Cost table. We subtract the cost percentage from the income percentage for each parent.
Normally child support stops when your child turns 18. If your child's in secondary study, you can apply to extend it to the end of the school year.
For the 2021-22 financial year, it's a payment of up to $788.40 for each eligible child. For the 2022-23 financial year, it's a payment of up to $817.60 for each eligible child.
We can collect overdue payments going back: up to 3 months in normal circumstances. up to 9 months in exceptional circumstances.
Some people do not have to pay child maintenance
You will not be expected to pay anything through the Child Maintenance Service if you: Share care equally with the other parent. Are in full-time education with no income.
The basic rule in Australia is that it is the child's right to have access to both moms and dads. There's a rule of equal and shared parental responsibility that both the mother and father share unless there is an order determining otherwise.
The income of your new partner or spouse does not affect child support you pay or receive. Child support is based only on the incomes of the children's' parents.
If you're single
$251.80 plus $24.60 for each extra child. If your income is over the cut-off point of $2,537.60 a fortnight, we pay you $0 for that fortnight. The cut-off point increases by $24.60 per child if you have more than one child. If you're Age Pension age or older, the income limit may be different.
$915.40 includes Parenting Payment and a pension supplement of $26.20. If you're eligible for Parenting Payment you will also get Energy Supplement. You may also get Rent Assistance. You don't need to submit a claim for Rent Assistance.
Eligible pensioners will receive a one-off $4,000 boost to Work Bonus balances from 1 December, 2022. The $4,000 bonus will lift the income cap lift from $7,800 to $11,800 for eligible pensioners.
You can be chased for unpaid child maintenance by your child's other parent or by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). What you can do if you owe child maintenance depends on how you pay it.
Centrelink may also require parents to apply for an assessment of child support payable by the other parent. A person who starts a de facto relationship with a person who already has children does not have a legal obligation to support those children except in special circumstances.
If parents reach an agreement over child support, and there is no Child Maintenance Service or court involvement, then it is possible to agree to pay the child maintenance direct to the child.
If you have shared care for at least 52 nights a year, you don't need to pay any child maintenance.
Assuming you're on the basic rate, you'll need to pay: 12% of your gross weekly income for one child. 16% of your gross weekly income for two children. 19% of your gross weekly income for three or more children.