Services Australia has not applied child support law properly and some parents are owed money, report finds

A report from the Commonwealth Ombudsman has found that Services Australia knew its internal practices relating to child support payments conflicted with the law for six years. In 2019, the agency identified a practice where parents with less than 35% care of a child did not receive financial support as being inconsistent with the law. Despite this knowledge, Services Australia took no action to address the issue. The Ombudsman's report suggests that some parents may be owed money due to these internal practices. The agency's inaction has led to concerns about fairness and justice for affected families. The report highlights a need for improvement in how Services Australia processes child support payments.