What is Child Support?
Will my child support payments be stopped if my new boyfriend moves in with us?
My husband has stopped paying child support, which I badly need. What can I do?
Can I be stopped from leaving the country if I owe child support money?
What do I do if I want to dispute child support payments?
What is Child Support?
Child support is money paid to the 'custodian' (meaning caregiver) of a child under 19 by the parent who is not living with the child. This usually happens when couples separate or get divorced. Custodians can also be people such as grandparents or organisations such as Child, Youth and Family. The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) calculates monthly child support payments based on income, living costs, and number of dependent children and handles all child support arrangements. IRD collects the money from the parent who has to pay child support , and passes it on to the custodian parent.
If you need to apply for child support, you can call the IRD on 0800 227 771 or see the IRD webpage on Applying for Child Support. If you don't want to apply for Child Support, but you'd like more general information, see the IRD Child Support website.
Will my child support payments be stopped if my new boyfriend moves in with us?
If you enter into a relationship while receiving child support, your payments will not change. There are, however, several things that could affect how much you are paid, and you will need to inform the IRD within 28 days of any relevant change in circumstances. For example, you need to let IRD know:
- if you start living with the person who pays your child support payments
- if a dependent child comes into or leaves your care
- if you change your address, other contact details or bank account
- if you start or stop receiving a benefit
- if any of the children you receive child support for no longer qualify for child support
All of these factors can affect how much you receive in child support payments. For more information, see the IRD child support custodians' webpage.
My husband has stopped paying child support, which I badly need. What can I do?
If your partner has stopped paying the child support they are supposed to, contact the IRD, because it is their job to collect the money for you. They can organise to recover overdue payments and can arrange to have future payments made by your partner's employer, should that be necessary. The IRD number to call is 0800 227 771. For more information, see the IRD page on child support.
Can I be stopped from leaving the country if I owe child support money?
The IRD and Courts now share information with Customs about people who pay child support so that they can be tracked by child support officers if they are leaving the country. IRD can prevent a paying parent from leaving the country if necessary.
The best thing to do if you have child support obligations is to contact Child Support Services and explain the situation before making any travel plans.
What do I do if I want to dispute child support payments?
The IRD handles disputes over child support payments so contacting them is the first step. You may have special circumstances that allow you to apply for an administrative review. The IRD hears all cases and you may include anything in your formal objection that is relevant to your claim and can be backed up with evidence. If you need help in organising the evidence, you can ask your local CAB for assistance.