An investigation into 279 complaints about the child support program, conducted between November and February, revealed that a significant majority—73 per cent—of separated mothers were experiencing financial abuse through the system.
In 83 per cent of cases, the paying parent, predominantly men, were intentionally avoiding or underpaying child support, misrepresenting their income, providing false information about care arrangements, and resorting to abusive or violent behavior to prevent the other parent from seeking assistance.
One parent reported that their ex-partner owed approximately $32,000 in child support and claimed that Services Australia staff had not provided adequate assistance.
Another parent stated that their former partner had intentionally avoided lodging a tax return for five years to prevent a child support assessment from being initiated, despite holding two jobs.
According to the Ombudsman’s report released today, the total amount of unpaid child support increased by five per cent in the 2023–24 financial year — marking the highest rise in nearly a decade.
Services Australia Failing to Prevent Child Support Abuse, Ombudsman Report Reveals
By the end of last year, unpaid child support had reached approximately $1.9 billion, with 153,694 paying parents owing an average of $7,261 each.
The Ombudsman concluded that Services Australia is “not doing enough to actively address the weaponisation of the child support program.
Although the agency’s approach is designed to be welfare-focused and well-meaning, it is failing to recover the funds owed to parents during critical times when their children need support most, the report stated.
It also found that Services Australia is neither effectively identifying instances of financial abuse nor fully utilising its enforcement powers in a proactive manner.
Widespread Financial Abuse Reported in Child Support Complaints
This lenient approach is unjust, as it enables some paying parents to exploit the system and avoid their financial obligations in raising their children, often without facing any real consequences.
The report also highlighted legislative shortcomings that limit Services Australia’s ability to recover debts and enforce child support payments.
In total, the Ombudsman made eight recommendations.
Services Australia has accepted all of them and committed to fully implementing the changes by June 2026.
We appreciate the Ombudsman’s comprehensive investigation into this critical issue. Financial abuse and all forms of family and domestic violence are serious and harmful problems that impact many of our clients,” a Services Australia spokesperson said.
We recognise that financial abuse is a complex challenge, and we’re working collaboratively with the Department of Social Services, the Australian Taxation Office, and the Office for Women to tackle it.
While current legislation restricts some of the changes we can make, we acknowledge there is still progress we can achieve within the existing framework to better support parents and children involved in the child support system.
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