The child support system is so fundamentally flawed it actually puts women at risk for financial abuse, even after leaving an abusive relationship, according to a recent report.
The report, called ‘Opening the black box of child support: Shining a light on how financial abuse is perpetrated’, also revealed the current system risks the physical and mental health of single mothers.
The report’s authors heard the voices of 675 single mothers through an online survey about their experiences from the start of the child support journey, until the end. The survey questions focussed on how their decision-making was influenced by fear and how the system supported ongoing abuse.
Alarming data
To set the scene, the report outlined the following Government data about child support.
The findings
The study’s findings also revealed how the system negatively impacts women’s physical and mental health. The World Health Authority (WHO) lists a number of factors that impact people’s health. These are called the Determinants of Health, including income and social status, education, physical environment, genetics, and health services.
In the sections below, I describe these health determinants and then explain what the data revealed about how the child support system negatively affected them. Finally, I provide the stories of the women in the study.
Income, social status
Higher income and social status are linked to better health (WHO). The women spoke of their welfare debts caused by unpredictable care and income provided by the paying parents. They explained:
I have an enormous Centrelink debt. I was separated due to domestic violence. How am I supposed to know the other person’s income? I am now paying back a full year of Family Tax Payments because I was not eligible for that money, but completely unaware that I was not eligible. I had given them all the information I had.
My ex controlled my spending during our relationship… Post-separation, despite his business turning over $500k p/a, he puts $70K on paper. Child Support have assessed him to earn $200K after tax but tells me it’s ‘academic’ – there’s no real enforcement.
Education
Low education levels are linked with poor health, more stress and lower self-confidence (WHO). The women in our study were often in survival mode, meaning they could not afford anything but the basics, so further education was unattainable. One said:
I’ve at times been living on as little at $72 a week of FTB [Family Tax Benefit] as my sole income to feed, house, clothe and educate myself and 2 children. I don’t understand how that is possible.
Physical environment
Safe houses and communities contribute to good health (WHO). The women reported their family was in physical, sexual, emotional and psychological danger. For example:
It’s a lot easier to get him exempt from paying than to get him to pay… having Services Australia threaten to reduce or cut it off, is triggering for victims of domestic violence, who have been repeatedly threatened by their ex to stop paying child support or to pay less, to take the children if they claim child support, to take your own benefits, to kill you and the kids if you claim child support. … My ex sexually assaulted our children so I will never attempt to claim again because he thinks payment of child support means he has a right to see them.
Genetics
Inheritance plays a part in determining lifespan, healthiness and the likelihood of developing certain illnesses. Personal behaviour, coping skills and how we deal with life’s stresses all affect health (WHO). Chronic stress can lead to an individual’s genes allowing certain chronic diseases to express themselves. The women talked of the stress they were experiencing and how they would stop pursuing payments to avoid escalation. Two women shared:
I withdrew my application to avoid further conflict by telling CSA there was a private agreement but there isn’t and he doesn’t pay anything.
Former partner contacted child support and threatened staff and myself. Child Support contacted me and asked me to go to a safe location due to his threats. They then granted me an exemption based on his behaviour.
Health services
Access and use of services that prevent and treat disease influence health (WHO). The participants revealed their use of psychologists, doctors, Victims Services counsellors and social workers. Women reported being retraumatised having to repeat their story and deal with new health workers.
Supporting document/form from my psychologist. Letters from doctors, psychologists etc. I had to go through detailed accounts of abuse and they confirmed the events via a witness interview.
Have been told twice …. that I have an exemption. Called last week and told I don’t have one. Social worker asked me for someone to verify violence. They still haven’t called them. I also uploaded a letter to my account from Victims Services in February, social worker back then said received. New social worker said can’t see it… I guess I don’t have or will ever have an exemption.
Where to from here?
With so many health determinants affected, the system is clearly harmful to women. Put simply, it’s another Robodebt moment.
Will the Government look away, or address the problems? To do this, they need to work with victim survivors, advocates, researchers and social support organisations to co-design an effective system. As women in the study said:
The CSA [Child Support Agency] processes are a federally endorsed system of financial abuse that impacts thousands of women bearing the responsibility of raising children.’
The Government’s generational refusal to take notice of, address or even acknowledge the inadequacies and failings of an Australian Financial Support System, existing purely to support children, is not only incomprehensible; it borders on national and global criminality.
The author acknowledges the work of Professor Kay Cook and her team for preparing the original research report.
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