Barnett and Hodson (Child support)

The matter of *Barnett and Hodson (Child Support)* concerned an application to change the method of collecting a child support liability from private collection to collection by the Child Support Registrar. The core of the dispute revolved around whether unpaid child support constituted arrears for the purposes of collection by the Registrar.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether the existing unpaid child support liability qualified as arrears that could be subject to collection by the Child Support Registrar, and consequently, whether the decision to change the collection method was appropriate.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision under review, finding that unpaid child support liabilities do indeed constitute arrears for the purpose of collection by the Child Support Registrar. The Tribunal applied the principles of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988*, which permit the Registrar to collect outstanding child support liabilities. The decision underscored that the existence of arrears is a key factor in authorising the transfer of collection from private arrangements to the Child Support Registrar.