Swinburne report exposes how Australia’s child support system enables financial abuse, fuelling child poverty

Professor Kay Cook from Swinburne University of Technology led the report.

A new research report presented in Parliament House on Tuesday 8 October details how child support is being weaponised against single mothers and their children.

The report, ‘Opening the Black Box of Child Support: Shining a Light on Financial Abuse,’ analyses results of a survey of nearly 700 single mothers.

Professor Kay Cook from Swinburne University of Technology, who led the report, presented findings such as: 

• Nearly four in five single mothers were experiencing some form of violence at the time of separation. 

• Despite this, only one in ten women applied for an exemption from seeking child support on the grounds that it would exacerbate the violence. 

• Many were unaware that failure to apply for child support or seek an exemption would result in the loss of around 70 per cent of their family payments, further deepening the poverty experienced by their children. 

• The report also highlights how ex-partners exploit the system through income minimisation, false reporting of care time, deliberate non-payment and scheme exploitation to incur debts for women and children. 

Lead author and Swinburne child support academic Professor Kay Cook says that government systems should not harm people.  

“When mothers leave violent ex-partners, they are compelled to stay connected to them through the child support system. Our research shows that the system can be used by perpetrators to continue to inflict financial and psychological harm.  

“When women try to do what the system demands - by collecting payments - they face an increased risk of violence. Most women entering the system have left violent relationships. Child support needs to put the needs of victim survivors first.”