Child Support Payment Increase 2026: What Changed and What It Means for You

If you're asking whether child support payments changed in 2026 — yes, they did. Every year on 1 January, Services Australia updates the figures used to calculate child support. Here's exactly what changed, why, and how it flows through to your payments.

What Actually Changed on 1 January 2026

The child support formula doesn't just spit out a single dollar figure — it's built on a set of reference amounts that get adjusted each year. Three key figures changed:

The Costs of Children tables — which determine the baseline cost of raising kids at different income levels — were also updated for 2026.

Why Does This Happen Every Year?

All these figures are tied to something called MTAWE — Male Total Average Weekly Earnings — a national wage benchmark published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The self-support amount is set at exactly one-third of annualised MTAWE, and the Costs of Children tables scale off it.

When average wages go up, these figures go up. The logic is straightforward: the cost of raising children moves with living standards, so the formula should too.

This annual reset is automatic. You don't apply for it, and Services Australia doesn't write to you about it. It just takes effect for any child support period starting on or after 1 January each year.

Does This Mean Everyone Pays More?

Not necessarily — and this is where it gets a bit counterintuitive.

The self-support amount is deducted from each parent's income before the formula calculates anything. It represents the income a parent needs just to support themselves. In 2026, that jumped by $1,205.

So while the Costs of Children tables went up (which pushes payments higher), the self-support deduction also went up (which pushes payments lower). The two effects partially cancel each other out.

For most people, the net result is a modest increase in payments — but in some scenarios, especially where the paying parent's income is close to the self-support threshold, payments can stay flat or even nudge down slightly.

A Worked Example

Let's say:

• Paying parent earns $85,000/year
• Receiving parent earns $42,000/year
• One child, aged 8
• Paying parent has 4 nights per fortnight (roughly 28% care)

2025 calculation:

• Self-support deducted from each parent: $29,841
• Paying parent's child support income: $55,159
• Receiving parent's child support income: $12,159
• Combined child support income: ~$67,318
• Estimated annual payment: ~$5,500 (~$458/month)

2026 calculation:

• Self-support deducted from each parent: $31,046
• Paying parent's child support income: $53,954
• Receiving parent's child support income: $10,954
• Combined child support income: ~$64,908
• Estimated annual payment: ~$5,620 (~$468/month)

The difference: roughly $120/year — about $10/month more.

These are estimates using the standard formula. Your actual assessment depends on your specific incomes, care arrangements, and whether either parent has other dependent children.

What This Means If You're the Paying Parent

Your assessment will be automatically recalculated using the new 2026 figures once the ATO sends updated income data to Services Australia. If you're paying via the agency, you'll see any change reflected in your deductions. If you have a private collect arrangement, it's worth checking whether your agreed amount still reflects the current assessment.

If you've had a significant change in income, care arrangements, or circumstances, you may have grounds to apply for a formal change of assessment — not just wait for the annual indexation to do the work.

What This Means If You're the Receiving Parent

You should see a small increase flow through during 2026 once incomes are updated. If the paying parent's income has changed substantially since the last assessment, the annual indexation alone won't capture that — you'd need to trigger a reassessment based on current income figures.