Capacity to pay = slavery.

All payers of the Child Support Scheme come under the 'capacity to pay' umbrella. If one is paying child support at a rate assessed by the CSA and their income drops without a reason accepted by the CSA, then the CSA may determine the rate of child support is to remain. The CSA may also investigate a person they believe has a "greater capacity to financially support their kids" *.

Most people have the capacity to earn more money, for many at a cost. It may cost time at home, weekends, social life, relationships and/or health. For others it may cost them time with the children they pay child support for, missing out on a school play or the child's regular sporting events.

Without doubt there are people whom do rort the system and should be hunted down, but there are probably just as many whom genuinely experience an income drop beyond their control, or choose a lesser income for their own personal reasons. Some of these reasons may be to spend more time with their family or new relationship, care for an ill loved one, to reduce stress, a desire for a lifestyle change or due to having achieved their financial goals and not needing to work so hard. Whether or not your family is intact, we all have a right to choose how much we want to work and earn. For a few these rights are denied.

If the number of people on Australian websites and forums, claiming to have been unfairly assessed by this capacity to pay legislation is an indication of a more widespread problem, then it brings into question the workings of it and the power of the CSA Officers whom determine peoples income capacity. It appears the CSA doesn't always weigh up the capacity to pay against the personal cost to maintain an assessed amount. Choosing instead the almighty dollar and the savings to the government by forcing people to maintain their assessed child support amount.

It is irrelevant if there are thousands, hundreds or just one person whom has been unfairly treated by the CSA. If their determination is you have a "greater capacity to financially support your kids" is in opposition to reality or self fulfillment, that you must pay the assessed amount, then such a determination can only be viewed as enslaving you to a minimum income to pay the amount of child support assessed and for self support. In effect, in opposition to human rights and what all western society considers abhorrent, the CSA commits you to slavery ** under the capacity to pay legislation.



* http://www.csa.gov.au/schemereforms/eBulletin3.aspx

** Wikipedia definition- "Slavery is a social-economic system under which certain persons—known as slaves—are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to work."