Australia's child support system is being weaponised, data shows
Year after year, the government slaps Leah with a family tax debt based on child support that her ex-partner has not paid.
Leah, a single mother, has been unfairly impacted by Australia's child support system. Over a decade after giving birth to her son, he has yet to pay any child support. Instead, Leah faces family tax debts due to the government's assumption that she hasn't received any payments. This has left Leah with a debt while her ex-partner avoids paying and controls her financially.
Leah's ex-partner used the Private Collect arrangement to avoid paying through Services Australia, coercing her into direct payments. Government data shows that half of all families rely on child support from the Private Collect program, with nearly one in five parents turning to this arrangement to avoid conflict with their former partners.
The child support system, deemed outdated and not designed to address coercive control or financial abuse, needs reform. The government has announced $183 million in reforms, including the implementation of Departure Prohibition Orders for those with significant child support debts traveling abroad. However, more action is needed to protect families from exploitation.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
