Child Support online accounts terms and conditions

Please read these terms and conditions carefully before you decide if this service is right for you.

Definitions

Agreement

When you access, browse or use your Child Support online account, you accept these terms and conditions. When you accept them, you also agree that we can send you email updates.

We may change these terms and conditions. They are effective from 1 October 2018.

If you misuse your online account, we may block your access. Misuse is if you:

• update your personal details with false details
• send messages that aren’t related to our services
• send messages online that are abusive, threatening or inappropriate
• go against these terms and conditions.

You agree to use your Child Support online account only for lawful purposes. This means using it in a way which does not breach others’ rights. This, includes both of the following:

• using your account to harass or be disruptive (including sending offensive content or sharing information that is considered private or protected under Child Support Legislation
• any other illegal conduct.

Emails

Email updates

After you register, messages from us will go to your online account. We’ll email you when you have a new message from us.

We may also email you about:

• changes to the service, Services Australia or the child support scheme
• surveys to help us improve our services.

Unsubscribe from email updates

To unsubscribe from our email updates, send an email with ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject line, to webmaster@servicesaustralia.gov.au. This means you’ll get less emails from us. However, we’ll still email you when you have a new message from us in your online account.

Confirming emails are from us

To help protect your security, we’ll never ask you for the following details by email. Your:

• password
• personal details
• bank account details.

If you’re asked for these details or you think the email is a scam:

• don’t click on any links
• don’t respond to the sender
• read more about how to get help with a scam
• call our Scams and identity theft helpdesk.

Privacy and security

Privacy

By law, we need to collect information about you and your family. This information is for child support purposes. We know that some of this information is sensitive. Your privacy is very important to us.

We are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles, made under the Privacy Act 1988. There are 13 Australian Privacy Principles. They say how to use personal information. They set out the standards for:

• collecting information
• storage
• security
• correction, use, disclosure
• access.

Read more about the Australian Privacy Principles on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner website.

Information provided to us for the purposes of Child Support Law is protected information. Secrecy provisions restrict the communication of protected information and say when and to whom it is legal to release information to. You are also bound by these Secrecy provisions and can only disclose information provided to or by you in certain circumstances. Read more about the secrecy provisions on the Department of Social Services website.

Security

We follow the Australian Government Protective Security Policy Framework. We protect your online account from unauthorised access.

Read more about the Australian Government Protective Security Policy Framework on the Attorney-General’s department website.

IT security

When you use the online service, we’ll collect some information. This helps us to learn how customers use our services. We’ll collect:

• your IP address
• the top level domain name, or example, .com, .gov, .au
• the date and time of your visit to the site
• the pages you access and documents you download
• the previous site visited
• the type of browser you use.

Access

We’ll give you a Child Support Reference Number (CSRN) and password. This will give you access to all our services.

By using the online account you agree to:

• keep passwords private and secure
• change your password on a regular basis and when we ask
• keep your unique CSRN private and secure.

If someone else knows your CSRN or your password, or it’s lost or stolen, call 131 272. International customers should call +61 131 272, call charges apply. We’ll give you a new CSRN and password.

If you can’t access your online account, you still need to give us details when asked.

If we find someone, or a program, has hacked or is accessing your online account, we’ll:

• limit, restrict or deny your access
• change your CSRN and password and tell you about this change.

Cookies

Our service creates an encrypted cookie when you sign in. This helps us know you’re authorised to use the service. We only use cookies while you’re signed in. You may need to allow your computer to store cookies so you can access your account.

We don’t identify you by your browsing activities, unless we’re investigating an alleged offence. If this occurs, we’re required by law to attempt to identify people.

Links to other websites

If we give you a link to an external website it is just for your information. We don’t:

• endorse
• monitor
• control external websites.

We are not responsible for their content, product or service, or your use of them.

Sharing your details

We never give your contact details to the other parent or the other party of a child support case.

Sometimes we need to share some details with the other parent. For example, your assessment details. This is so they understand how we calculate the assessment.

We may give some of your details to other government agencies. This only happens when the law allows or requires it. We share your details to:

• data match, so parents pay the right amount of child support
• get information, such as income and assets
• verify someone’s identity to make sure we have the correct person in a child support case
• to confirm incomes.

We may also share your details with:

• the Federal Police or a mental health crisis unit in response to a threat
• international agencies that collect Australian child support.

Government agencies and other third parties we share information with include:

• Australian Taxation Office
• The Administrative Review Tribunal
• The Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
• The Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• The Department of Home Affairs
• The Attorney-General’s Department
• law enforcement agencies
• road traffic authority
• financial institutions
• employers.

We may also share information with commonwealth investigation or auditing agencies, such as the:

• Ombudsman
• Privacy Commissioner
• Australian National Audit Office.

We have contractors that help deliver our services or carry out research on our behalf. We may give your contact details to them. You don’t have to be part of programs or research, just tell them when they contact you.

Learn more about the Privacy Act and privacy.

Read more about our collection, use and disclosure of information.

Using your account

Your Child Support online account is the best way to manage your child support payments and details.

Your child support transactions can take 24 hours to show in your online account.

In our online accounts, we can add, remove or change services without notice.

Child support online accounts and the Express Plus Child Support mobile app are available 24/7.

We run service updates each day between 2 am and 5 am AEST. This can result in 15 minute breaks from the service. Check customer service changes for any scheduled or unscheduled service interruptions.

If your Child Support online account isn’t working, call us on the Child Support enquiry line. We can also correct your account if you’ve made a mistake.

Your work place and financial institutions can use the Child Support Online Business Services for child support deductions.

Disclaimer

We try to make sure the information in Child Support online accounts is right. But we don’t warranty or guarantee that it is:

• exact
• complete
• current
• fit for any use whatsoever.

As a user, you should not rely just on the information you get through Child Support online accounts.

Always check its relevance and accuracy on our website. We are always reviewing and updating our website. You can get professional advice if you’re still unsure.

Limit of liability

We, our employees and agents accept no liability for any loss or damage suffered. This can be as a result of:

• direct or indirect access to our online services
• use of information you access through our website
• any failure of performance
• information errors, deletions and omissions
• interruptions such as system outages.

We don’t accept liability or responsibility for any loss or damage suffered because of:

• computer viruses, disabling codes, worms or other devices or defects
• line system failure
• loss of data
• loss of use related to the website.

We can explain these terms and conditions to you. Call us on the Child Support enquiry line.