Services Australia to "uplift" child support online account platform

Services Australia will deliver a "full digital platform uplift" to the online account system used for accessing child support by sometime next year.

Work on the uplift is already underway, having started in July 2025, a spokesperson told iTnews.

The agency wrote in its 2024-2025 annual report [pdf] that the uplift is intended to create “significant customer experience improvements”. 

"We’re improving the digital experience for child support customers by transitioning to a modernised online account platform," the Services Australia spokesperson said.

"The transition is due to the existing online account platform reaching end-of-life."

The agency has had some early success through the uplift program, with the spokesperson noting that "some improvements as part of this work are already operational, such as a new online application for assessment for new child support customers."

Services Australia won't go to market for specific commercial off-the-shelf online accouint system management software, instead reusing internal "resources and technology patterns".

The agency declined to be more specific on the underlying technology.

The "digital platfom uplift" is the latest package of work aimed at improving digital access to child support services.

Earlier work, which began in late 2023, was more focused on user interface upgrades, according to Services Australia's 2023-2024 annual report [pdf].

The upgrades to the child support system "form part of the agency’s architecture review taskforce deliberations," the spokesperson said.

The end-to-end architecture review was first announced in June 2024, focusing on the agency's applications, database technology and core infrastructure.

The child support system was identified as one of four “legacy” systems that Services Australia intended to update.

Others included its enterprise resource planning system, income security integrated system, and the Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme system.