Child support made easier with new smart apps

Smart mobile apps are making everyday money management much easier for Australians. Switch on your smartphone and you can see how your savings account is stacking up, when your credit card payment is due — and soon it may help you manage your children!

Individuals are using their mobiles for more than their banking needs. When it comes to more complex financial arrangements, such as child support, there are increasingly simple ways to keep everything in check.

The global mobile revolution

There is a new child support app on the US market — one that’s helping separated parents manage the often volatile subject of child support. Given how rapidly technology moves, it’s surely only a matter of time before a similar offering is launched in Australia.

SupportPay is a child support platform, which is designed to “end financial conflicts” between parents who are no longer together, but have children to care for.

It’s designed on the premise that child support isn’t simply a monthly payment — there are other expenses, from kids’ sports gear to music lessons and out-of-school tuition fees. Rather than one parent racking up credit card debt to ensure young ones get the material goods and education opportunities they need, SupportPay acts as a medium between parents, making it easy to see who pays what.

The app allows parents to track child support payments, set up automatic payments and more — all within a secured online environment.

Australia introduces new systems for child support payments

Earlier this year, the Department of Human Services (DHS) announced a big change to the nation’s child support payment system. The DHS signed an agreement with expense management software organisation SAP and multinational technology services and outsourcing organisation Accenture — a component of a $102.2 million, five-year investment in the system.

The DHS delivers a range of services, child support being one of them. According to the DHS, the child support program “provides separated parents help with the financial and emotional support necessary for their children’s wellbeing”. The new system will help DHS staff in their day-to-day duties in relation to the nation’s child support system — potentially leading to more efficient outcomes for parents.

“This key project will pave the way for more efficient transfer of information between Child Support, Centrelink and government departments and give the government flexibility to rapidly implement new initiatives into the future,” said Marise Payne, Minister for Human Services.

Medicare app links to Child Support services

It’s not just software changes making waves in the context of child support.

The DHS’ Express Plus Medicare mobile app gives Australians the ability to check their Medicare claim history, benefits and Safety Net balance, among other public healthcare-related issues. But that’s not all — the app also allows parents to link their Child Support services record to it, making it simple to keep up with payments.

In order to use the service, you’ll need to create a myGov account.

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