What Does Child Support Not Cover in Australia?

Not everything your child needs falls under the standard child support assessment. While the payments are designed to cover day-to-day costs, there's a long list of extras that aren't included by default — and many parents are surprised to find out what's missing.

What Does Child Support Actually Cover?

The standard child support assessment is designed to cover the everyday costs of raising a child. This includes:

• Food, groceries and household basics
• Everyday clothing and footwear
• Standard school costs — uniforms, stationery, standard excursions
• Medicare-covered medical and dental expenses
• Housing costs for the child

The amount is calculated using both parents' incomes, the number of children, and how much time each parent spends with them.

What Child Support Does NOT Cover

The following expenses are not included in a standard assessment unless you have a separate agreement in place.

Private School Fees

If your child attends a private school, the tuition fees are not covered by standard child support payments. This is one of the most common disputes between separated parents. The paying parent is not legally obligated to contribute to private school fees unless it's included in a binding or limited agreement, or ordered by a court.

Extracurricular Activities

Sport registrations, music lessons, tutoring, dance classes — none of these are included in the standard assessment. They're considered extras beyond basic needs. If both parents agree they're important, they can be included in a private agreement.

Overseas Holidays

Travel costs for the child — including flights, accommodation and travel insurance — are not covered. If you want the other parent to contribute to a trip, this needs to be negotiated separately.

High-Cost Medical and Dental Expenses

Medicare-covered costs are generally included in the standard assessment. But specialist treatments, orthodontics, therapy, or out-of-pocket hospital costs above routine levels are not. These often need to be split by agreement or addressed through a Change of Assessment on special needs grounds.

Luxury Clothing and Items

Standard child support covers basic clothing needs. Designer brands, expensive electronics, or luxury items are outside the scope of the assessment.

University or TAFE Costs

Child support ends when a child turns 18 (or at the end of the school year if they're still in secondary school). Tertiary education costs are entirely outside the child support system and need to be covered by a private arrangement if the parents agree to share them.

Costs After the Child Turns 18

Once child support ends, any ongoing financial support must be agreed privately or ordered by a Family Court in special circumstances, such as disability. See our guide on child support age limits for more detail.

How Can You Cover These Extra Expenses?

There are three main options if you need the assessment to go beyond standard costs.

Limited Agreement

Both parents agree on an amount in writing. No lawyers are required, but the amount must be at or above the formula assessment rate. It lasts a minimum of three years and can be ended by either parent after that with 28 days' notice.

Binding Child Support Agreement

More flexible than a limited agreement — it can cover any amount, including below the formula rate, and can include non-standard expenses like school fees and extracurriculars. Both parents must get independent legal advice before signing. This makes it harder to change later, which provides certainty for both sides.

Change of Assessment

If you can't reach a private agreement but believe the standard assessment doesn't reflect the true cost of raising your child, you can apply to Services Australia for a Change of Assessment. Ground 1 covers special needs, and Ground 8 covers extraordinary expenses. The process takes 8–12 weeks on average. See our Change of Assessment guide for full details.

Can I Ask How Child Support Is Being Spent?

This is one of the most common questions separated parents ask — and the short answer is: legally, no. Once child support payments are made, the receiving parent is not required to account for how they're spent.

Services Australia treats child support as a contribution to the overall cost of raising the child, not a payment earmarked for specific items. If you believe payments are not being used for the child's benefit, your options are limited — but you can apply for a Change of Assessment if you believe the child's needs are not being met, or seek family law advice about consent orders.