New child support formula - vent :-/

[barbie-up]

This really p*sses me right off - my children are under my roof 85% of the time and yet this only represents 74% of the cost of raising them.

Since the new formula kicked in on July 1st my child support has dropped 40% and on August 1st, it drops another 16% - since when has raising kids got 56% cheaper ?

I have no grounds to appeal against it, the EX works in a factory and does not earn a great deal, but it's over 3 times what I earn casually.

To compound this, and this part has nothing to do with any government agency - the knobhead lives in a house owned by his parents and pays $130 week rent and had the gaul to ask me for $20 the other week for petrol.

I should dob his parents in, they don't declare that money for tax purposes.

[C~Q]

Oh you poor thing I don't know anything about child support ut that does sound really unfair. It's a lot to have to drop by. Do you get anything else from the government to make up for it? ie you get less from him but mre from them?

I hope the situation improves for you

[squidipa]

aww i feel for you,
for 3 years i have received nothing for my son bar from around 170 once ff payment. yet the government takes into account i would be getting $$$$$$ is that person was paying. BUT HE IS NOT! blinkin pathetic and now the is rate is 5 -6 dollars a week give or take a few cents. Pathetic. Seriously can any f you bring up a 3 year old on 6 dollars a week? and i have 100% care.

I so hear ya im sorry wish i could fix it for all parents!

[Chocaholic]

The government seriously has no idea sometimes!! I'm sorry what you should!!

And yes, please dob in his parents. I'm not being vindictive but everyone needs to play their part in the Australian society and unfortuately that means taxs etc. It means you also get to enjoy the perks of being in a free democracy. Geez, that sounded sanctimonious but I am sick of so many people not doing what is "right" but expecting all the benefits **sorry, vent over! Sister issues**

[Sammiejane]

Hi Barbie-up
Sorry to hear that your payments have goe down... why are they going down again as of Aug 1st???

I agree that the system is often very unfair, but we are on the other side of the fence, where DH is paying for DSS... the old system did not take into account the fact that we had him abut 25% of the time (we would have him more if she would let us) and he was paying 38% of his wage (you are only meant to pay 18% - which was very unfair...) so it is better for us... but we also contribute more to DSS costs of leaving like hair cuts etc etc.... anyway this is not about us

Men often take way too much advantage, when was your last assessment? did he decare what he was paying in rent on that? maybe you could ask for a change in assessment based on the fact that you believe he could contibute more... does he do tax returns?

Do you get on well with his parents? would dobbing them in hurt them finacially? do they see your kids and would this affect their relationship.
Sorry, i do feel for you, but i also see the other side too due to our situation... I dont think that your reduction is fair though

[saslia]

Has your Family Assistance gone up??

[Madissun]

The system is extremely unfair. I dont receive child support AT ALL because the "Australian government does not agree with the Jamaican government" and therefore do not collect child support from there. Yet there is nothing provided by the governement to compensate for this!

[briggsy's girl]

the formula they use now should, theoretically, work to the benefit of the child - as much as it doesn't seem fair (and don't shoot me - i'm talking THEORY here!) - for a parent that has their child between 14 and 34% of the time, they get a reduction in child support of 24% - so basically they government is saying that, no matter where they fall in that bracket - it costs the same for their access - they still need to have beds, they still need to have a place with room for them to sleep etc. they also take the income of both parents into account now, rather than just paying a percentage of the paying parents income... also, anyone that has their child more than 65% of the time no receives 100% of the ftb entitlement for that child.

there has been a LOT of research (we're talking 3 years plus), and the aim was to work things out to the benefit of the children - and yes, there are cases such as those listed here where there will be financial hardship to one parent or the other - but ultimately, this is balancing the finances for the child a hell of a lot more than it was before

[Yael]

I will get DH to pop in here when he gets home from work to try and explain the new system (he works for the CSA).

Tobyturtle - just a note.. it isn't the governments reponsibility to pay people money for child support, it is the other parents. There are a lot of reciprocal countries, but not all unfortunatly. It sucks bigtime that your x won't pay child support, but it isn't the average tax payers responsibility to pay for him, as much as that may suck for you. The government already spends heaps of money just running to child support agency so one side pays the other side their money, and most people would not be happy paying more money in tax so the government can foot the bill when others shirk their responsibility.

[Madissun]

Im sorry...I wasn't meaning to imply that others (or the government) should have to pay to help me raise my child. I just wanted to point out that not all of us even receive child support.

Didn't mean to offend anyone though!

[squidipa]

Im sorry...I wasn't meaning to imply that others (or the government) should have to pay to help me raise my child. I just wanted to point out that not all of us even receive child support.

Didn't mean to offend anyone though!

no offence taken here i knew what you ment

well thats me 3 years and NOTHING RECIEVED!

[Yael]

I wan't offended at all, i was just replying to this part of your post

Yet there is nothing provided by the governement to compensate for this!

I will speak to DH tonight about reciprocal arrangements with Jamaica.

[Madissun]

I didnt really explain myself too well this afternoon...

All i meant to say really was how frustrating it is that child support can be enforced in some countries and not others. ''Compensate" was the wrong choice of word. "Enforcement" would have been a better one!

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread barbie-up!

[barbie-up]

The less child support I receive, the more FTB I get - so the government are making parents with the majority of the care more reliant on centrelink. I look at what I receive for working part time, studying part time and being home with my kids the rest of the time and I don't want to work full time. I would even be better off working less than I do now, but I can't get away with one shift at work.

The top part of the assessment notice that has the income and then subtracts that amount they deem that you need to live on to give a remainder to base their formula on completely ignores the fact that my remainder is less than zero, not just zero.

And the biggest slap in the face in this is if I went to work full time at the end of my studies next year, I would probably end up having to pay my EX for his big 15% of the care.

oh well - build a bridge !

[Kysacojo]

I would love somebody to be able to help out or shed some light on this one..grab a coffee..it's a biggy..an ABSOLUTE minefield!!!

My ex and I entered into a child support agreement as part of a property settlement 28months ago. Our solicitors signed the agreement and he was the one who suggested it and put the offer forward. My eldest went to live with him 1 year ago and he stopped paying child support to me ever since that day. I still have two kids who live with me. He has no contact with one and the other sees 5 nights a fortnight...much to DS detest. For the past 13 months ex has paid no child support, arrears have accrued and the CSA have stopped him leaving the country (Departure Prohibition Order). He refuses to work with the CSA to clear his debt. They gave him 14 days to sort his issue out before they commenced court proceedings...so what did he do...issued court proceedings against me to try and get out of his arrears and agreement. I have tried 7 times through my solicitor to come to an arrangement for the arrears but ex has never acknowledged attempts to sort this out. During all of this I found out he ceased being self employed (had been for 25 years and earnt over $100k each year) in favour of becoming employed by his...wait for it...girlfriend. She'd set up a shelf company and he works for her doing exactly the same job etc etc but is now paid $577pw gross..or so he claims. At court last week he turned up with a super specialised barrister (which would have cost him a fortune) and the judge is making us go to case conciliation (waste of time - he has never bothered before) so now I am supposed to negotiate with him when this was his own doing in the first place!! Back to court in October for a final hearing if nothing is agreed at conciliation. My current husband and I have been supporting the kids and because of this he has earnt more income to help out. We also have two children of our own and I look after them (20mths and 9 mths). He also pays child support for two other children. Trouble is because he has had to earn more to help with his step children and under the new legislation his child support has gone from $75pm to $581pm!!!! I don't know how we are sposed to afford this. I spoke to CSA and he can't do anything under the COA as the kids father is still living (albeit FIRE!!). In the mean time my husband is supporting all 6 children by himself (including 2 he is not legally obliged to support...however they need to eat). The CSA have been USELESS with all of this situation and all I am told is "yes, the system doesn't suit everyone, I'm not sure what you can do". As we can't afford to pay the increase in child support we too will have debt with the CSA. All this could have been avaided if my ex honoured his agreement. I am very worried the judge will discharge his arrears and discharge the agreement.........PLS HELP!!!!!