Child Support and Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Ending Financial Abuse in the Child Support Scheme No. 1) Bill 2026

Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 and Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988

• enable the Child Support Registrar to refuse certain child support and change of assessment applications where they may cause harm, and summarily dismiss certain objections
• replace mandatory document exchange requirements in change of assessment and objection processes with other information exchange arrangements

A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999

• make a consequential amendment in relation to summarily dismissed objections concerning care percentage decisions
• allow the recovery of certain Family Tax Benefit debts to be temporarily paused

Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988

• expand the collection of child support debts, arrears and overpayments by the registrar, including those arising from retrospective variations during periods of private collection
• enable payers to apply for child support to be collected by the registrar

Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989

• enable eligible parents in specified overseas jurisdictions to apply directly to Services Australia for an Australian child support assessment