Evaluation of the Child Support Pass-on (CSPO) policy

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is evaluating the Child Support Pass-on (CSPO) policy in consultation with Inland Revenue. The policy was implemented in July 2023. The CSPO changes included passing on child support to sole parent beneficiaries, automatically charging forward child support administered by Inland Revenue and treating it as income for benefit entitlement purposes, removing the obligation for sole parent beneficiaries to apply for child support, and allowing liable parents to claim TAS for their child support costs.

MSD began evaluating the CSPO policy changes in 2024, to understand sole parents’ experiences of the introduction of the policy and the impact on them and their whānau. These reports provide insights into the early effects of the policy and how experiences and impacts have evolved over time.

The Early Evaluation report presents findings from the evaluation available in mid-2024. It focuses on the initial implementation of the policy, early impacts for sole parent beneficiaries and liable parents, and changes observed in the child support system following implementation.

The Interim Insights report updates findings available up to end-2025. It explores how outcomes have developed over time, including the experiences of sole parent beneficiaries receiving child support, patterns of child support payments, and changes to income and wellbeing.

Read the reports