The Government is committed to ensuring the Child Support Scheme promotes the best interests of children and is informed by lived experience. Over 1.3 million parents use the Scheme to support the wellbeing of over 1.1 million children and while most parents do the right thing and pay child support on time, the Government recognises that some parents avoid their child support obligations.

In the May Budget, the Government committed $5.1 million to implement key recommendations made by the Joint Select Committee on Australia’s Family Law System. As part of this package, the Government has commenced a review of compliance in the child support scheme, with a focus on income accuracy (including tax lodgement), collection and enforcement and ensuring the Scheme is not able to be used by some parents to perpetrate post-separation abuse.

The Government also passed legislation in June 2023 to improve collection of unpaid child support and make child support assessments more accurate.