Bills — Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 1) Bill 2026; Second Reading

Summarised using AI from the official Hansard transcript of the debate only. It is not a record of the debate and may leave things out. Read the Hansard below to check it.

This bill makes technical changes to child support and social security law. It gives parents more time before a new child support assessment starts, confirms that people with less than 35 per cent care of a child cannot receive child support, and gives a clear legal basis for urgent payments and for counting a partner's income. The Coalition did not oppose it, the Greens supported it but moved amendments, and much of the debate was about urgent payments and wider welfare issues.

Arguments made in support

The government said the bill gives clear legal backing to long-standing practices and fixes errors from earlier law changes.

Government members said parents will get a month to prepare for a new child support amount instead of just days.

The government said removing the two-a-year limit on urgent payments comes with safeguards and offers of financial counselling.

The Coalition said it supports practical steps that improve how the child support scheme works.

Arguments made against, or for changes

Coalition speakers worried that removing the yearly cap on urgent payments could lead to more reliance on them and deeper money stress.

Zali Steggall, member for Warringah, said the bill was too small and ignored calls to fix how child support can be used for financial abuse.

The Greens said the bill fixes practices that had no legal basis for years, and moved to remove or index the $200 urgent payment limit.

The Greens also moved to bring back a six-year limit on recovering welfare debts and to raise payments above the poverty line.

The government opposed these amendments, saying the bill is about legal certainty, not payment amounts.

42 speeches by 12 members in the House and Senate over 6 sitting days.