after MUCH confusing paperwork, and multiple estimates of what CS was going to be (i lodged in November), now in May (so six months), $16.75 is being paid fortnightly for bilby's CS. It's much less than the CSA assessment said it would be, but X has told me, he is in arrears with his first child's CS, so apparently, until those arrears are paid, then second child's CS (bilby) will be reduced.

but officially, on paper, the CS is more than double, (i think, early 40's) - and i suspect that is what will count officially, it has already made my rent (public housing) go up, i am wondering how many other things it will affect. e.g will it make the Family tax a or b go down too?

Do you get statements from CSA? (to keep a check on what is paid in, if up to date).
e.g for the month of April, you should have been paid $40 each fortnight, but what really got paid was the lower amount of $x, so X is in arrears of $--.00. That's supposing the unpaid money, will be paid at SOME point.

or is the unpaid amount, just lost forever?

The last time i rang up CS, (to ask questions about the latest paperwork that had been sent to me) the consultant was annoyed with me, cos i apparently should have understood all about CS, from the phone interview i had back in November (!!!). Back then, X was unemployed and i was too tired/upset/overwhelmed to take much in, i just rang up to give my details.

X's new job is a sales commission job. So it's a basic retainer, (i have no idea how much), then six weeks after a sale, he gets commissions on top. The weeks he makes no sales, he has to pay the company back, so makes negative. I'm assuming he will need to declare those commissions, for the CSA to adjust the CS. So with an income not fixed (going up and down), this makes me nervous, about all the adjustments.

i actually felt calmer, when he was paying zero CS, at least i knew what to expect. (on unemployment benefits, if a co-parent has 14% care of the child, then they don't pay any CS).