The child support system is being gamed by perpetrators to weaponise payments and inflict financial and psychological harm, research released on Tuesday found, including by minimising income and falsely reporting time spent caring for kids.
The report recommended making the Australian Tax Office responsible for collecting child support payments and chasing down debts, so that victims don’t have to deal with their abusers themselves.
Nearly four-in-five single mothers were experiencing violence at the time of separation, only to be stuck interacting with their ex-partners through the child support system.
One in 10 women had applied for an exemption from seeking child support on the basis it may lead to violence, the report found, with many unaware a failure to do so could lead to trimmed family payments.
Source: Child support debts forcing mums to pursue violent exes