Child support · Special circumstances
A Change of Assessment is a formal Services Australia process for certain special circumstances. This guide explains the ten reasons, the further decision tests, what may be shared, and the paths for applying or responding.
AusChildSupport is independent and is not part of or endorsed by Services Australia or the Australian Government. It provides general information and indicative Estimates—not legal or financial advice. Services Australia makes and changes Formal Assessments.
01 · Pathways
These routes can look similar from the outside, but they do different jobs. This comparison is orientation only—it does not diagnose the correct pathway for you.
Contact details, care arrangements, bank details or other circumstances used in the assessment have changed.
Tell Services Australia promptly. Different rules and effective dates can apply to different changes.
Ordinary changes guidanceYour current income is lower than the income used in the assessment and the official estimate rules may apply.
Check the current income-estimate requirements. Services Australia says a first estimate generally requires current adjusted taxable income to be at least 15% lower.
Income guidanceSpecial circumstances may make the ordinary formula result inappropriate under one or more of the ten statutory reasons.
Call Services Australia first, then use the current written application if advised. A reason is necessary, but it is not the whole decision.
Application form CS1970Services Australia has issued a decision and you disagree with it.
An objection is a review pathway, not a new Change of Assessment application. Time limits can apply, so use the current decision letter and official guidance.
Objection guidanceCourt orders, agreements, disputed facts, safety concerns or legal consequences make individual advice important.
A lawyer can advise on your circumstances and options. This page cannot identify the right legal position for you.
When legal advice may help02 · Decision framework
Establishing a listed reason does not guarantee a change or predetermine its terms. The decision-maker considers the whole statutory framework.
One or more statutory reasons must be established because of circumstances that are special to the case.
DSS Guide 5.2The proposed decision must be fair to the child, the parents and any non-parent carer, considering the relevant statutory factors.
DSS Guide 5.3The decision-maker also considers parental responsibility and effects on relevant income-tested government payments.
DSS Guide 5.4A change may be refused even when a reason appears relevant, and a decision may differ from the change requested.
03 · Main reference
The numbering below follows the ten official user-facing reasons. Examples are prompts for relevant evidence—not automatic eligibility rules.
Read the official overviewThe costs of maintaining a child are significantly affected by high costs of enabling a parent to spend time with, or communicate with, the child.
Official examples include transport, accommodation and communication costs. Services Australia applies specific cost and care rules, so ordinary food, clothing or entertainment costs are not automatically part of this reason.
Potentially relevant evidence: A court order or parenting plan, travel or accommodation receipts, and estimates of future eligible costs may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonThe costs of maintaining a child are significantly affected by high costs associated with the child’s special needs.
The official guidance includes physical, mental or learning disability and special talent or ability. Rebates, refunds and allowances, and ordinary daily expenses, must be treated as the guidance requires.
Potentially relevant evidence: Medical material about the condition, treatment and costs, receipts for support or treatment, and estimates of future costs may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonThe costs of maintaining a child are significantly affected by high costs of caring for, educating or training the child in the way both parents expected.
Private schooling is one possible example, but the focus includes what both parents intended and whether the costs significantly affect maintaining the child.
Potentially relevant evidence: Signed enrolment material, fee receipts, a parenting plan, court order or other evidence of the shared intention may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonThe assessment is unfair because of the child’s income, earning capacity, property or financial resources.
The child must have financial resources relevant to the amount needed from the parents. Services Australia says Centrelink income-support payments to the child are not included for this purpose.
Potentially relevant evidence: Information about the child’s employment, income, property or other financial resources may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonThe assessment is unfair because a payer has paid or transferred money, goods or property to the child, the receiving party or a third party for the child’s benefit.
The guidance gives a transfer made as part of a property settlement as one example. The facts and connection to the child’s benefit matter.
Potentially relevant evidence: Court orders, agreements and bank records showing the transfer may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonThe costs of maintaining a child under 12 are significantly affected by the child care costs of a parent or non-parent carer.
Services Australia applies different thresholds for a parent and a non-parent carer and considers actual costs after rebates, refunds and other assistance.
Potentially relevant evidence: Child care receipts, statements of rebates or government support, and enrolment records may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonA parent’s capacity to support the child is significantly reduced by necessary commitments to support themselves.
The costs need to be necessary and the circumstances special. High medical costs are one official example; every case turns on its own evidence.
Potentially relevant evidence: Income evidence and receipts for the necessary expense, such as treatment or eligible separation-related setup costs, may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonThe assessment is unfair because of the income, earning capacity, property or financial resources of one or both parents.
Services Australia presents this as Reason 8. The DSS Guide analyses income, property and financial resources as 8A and earning capacity as 8B. Those are two aspects of one of the ten user-facing reasons—not an eleventh reason.
Potentially relevant evidence: Payslips, business accounts, financial statements, medical material explaining an income change, and lawful evidence relevant to earning capacity may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonA parent’s capacity to support the child is significantly affected by a duty to maintain another child or person, associated necessary expenses, or high contact costs.
The guidance includes another child, a former spouse or a partner who cannot support themselves in some circumstances. A relevant dependent child already recognised in the assessment is treated under specific rules.
Potentially relevant evidence: Court orders, proof of payments and material explaining why the other person cannot support themselves may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonA parent’s capacity to support a child-support child is significantly reduced by responsibility to maintain a resident child.
The official criteria include the resident child’s age, relationship and financial need, as well as circumstances affecting support from the child’s legal parents.
Potentially relevant evidence: Material about the resident child’s financial need and why their legal parents cannot support them may be relevant.
Inspect the DSS reasonReason 8 numbering: Services Australia uses one Reason 8. DSS separates its analysis into 8A (income, property and financial resources) and 8B (earning capacity). This page therefore still presents ten reasons.
04 · Before sharing evidence
A Change of Assessment application is not simply “confidential”. Services Australia’s sharing rules differ by document and may change again at tribunal review.
During the administrative process, Services Australia says personal details from Part A are not given to the other party.
Part B and supporting documents are provided to the other party so they can respond. Review and redact information that need not be shared.
If the matter is reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal, the full application may be provided. Withholding and non-disclosure rules are different.
This page does not collect your details. Do not send family, financial, safety or location information to AusChildSupport through this page.
05 · Process
This is a high-level overview only. The current forms and Services Australia instructions control what to submit and how.
Applicant lane
Contact Services Australia to check whether this is the appropriate process.
Complete the current written application.
Identify the relevant reason or reasons.
Provide relevant supporting material.
Review privacy and safety implications before submission.
Participate in the decision process.
Receive a written decision and reasons.
Responding party lane
Receive the material Services Australia is permitted or required to provide.
Complete the current response process.
Comment on the application.
Provide relevant evidence.
Raise a different requested change where the official process permits.
Participate in the decision process.
Receive the written decision and reasons.
06 · Evidence
A useful evidence set explains the circumstance, the financial effect, the relevant period and how those matters connect to the change being asked for. No single document guarantees a result.
| What needs explaining | Potentially relevant material | Privacy or safety check | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| The circumstance and relevant period | Orders, parenting plans, enrolment records, medical material or a clear chronology | Remove contact, school, workplace, vehicle and location details that need not be shared. | Services Australia |
| The financial effect | Receipts, invoices, benefit or rebate statements, estimates of future costs | Show net costs accurately; do not include third-party details unless necessary and lawful. | Services Australia |
| Income, resources or capacity | Payslips, tax or business records, profit and loss statements, balance sheets, medical material explaining a change | Use lawful records. Do not encourage surveillance, covert recordings or improperly obtained material. | Services Australia |
| Transfers made for a child’s benefit | Agreements, court orders and bank records showing the transfer | Redact unrelated transactions, account details and identifying information where appropriate. | Services Australia |
| Commitments to another person | Orders, proof of payments, records of need or evidence about available support | Protect the privacy of the other person and explain only what is relevant. | Services Australia |
| The requested connection | A concise explanation linking the circumstance, financial effect and requested period | Do not include statements from children or offensive, abusive or derogatory material. | Services Australia |
07 · Decision and review
Services Australia provides a notice setting out the decision and reasons. There is no outcome guarantee and this page does not state a processing timeframe.
The assessment remains as it is.
The assessment changes in the way requested.
The assessment changes in another way.
New application
Raises special circumstances under one or more listed reasons.
Application formReview of a decision
Challenges a Services Australia decision already made. Current official guidance says most objections must be received within 28 days; 90 days applies for a person in a reciprocating jurisdiction outside Australia. Care-percentage decisions have distinct rules.
Check current objection rulesEarlier periods can be legally complex. The DSS Guide explains that the Registrar may consider a period up to 18 months before an application, while earlier periods can involve court leave and separate limits. Use the official explanation and consider legal advice rather than relying on a short summary.
DSS Guide 5.1 — period of change08 · Questions
Short answers, with the official route beside each one.
No. Services Australia says dissatisfaction by itself is not a valid reason. At least one statutory reason must be established in the special circumstances, and the further decision tests still apply.
Official or supporting guidanceServices Australia says Part B and supporting documents are shared during the administrative process, while personal details in Part A are treated differently. If the matter reaches the ART, different information-sharing rules can apply.
Official or supporting guidanceYes. The written decision may make no change, the requested change, or a different change.
Official or supporting guidanceYes. Services Australia says a responding party can comment on the application and apply for different changes through the response process.
Official or supporting guidanceNo. Ordinary changes and income estimates have their own processes. Services Australia recommends contacting the Child Support enquiry line before applying to check whether Change of Assessment is the appropriate process.
Official or supporting guidanceNo. A Change of Assessment asks for an assessment to be changed in special circumstances. An objection asks Services Australia to review a decision it has already made.
Official or supporting guidanceNo. An AusChildSupport Estimate applies the supported formula to confirmed inputs. It does not model, issue or change a Change of Assessment decision.
Official or supporting guidanceConsider individual advice where agreements, court orders, disputed facts, safety, confidentiality, retrospective periods or review rights may have legal consequences.
Official or supporting guidance09 · Source register
Sources checked 2 August 2026. The DSS Child Support Guide displayed version 5.00, released 1 July 2026. Links below go directly to primary Australian Government material.
Services Australia
Application, response, privacy, evidence, ten reasons and outcomes
Services Australia
Current written application route
Services Australia
Current response route
Services Australia
Ordinary changes pathway
Services Australia
Review pathway and current objection timing
Department of Social Services
Legal framework, ten reasons, fairness tests and procedure
Federal Register of Legislation
Primary legislation, including sections 98C and 117
