A new study has revealed the scale of an emerging form of financial harm, commonly known as “Fembot Debt,” where systemic processes are being used in ways that disadvantage single mothers and their children.
The research by Swinburne University of Technology shows the ways in which the tax system, child support framework and Family Tax Benefit (FTB) can be manipulated by former partners, leaving women with unexpected government debts caused to actions outside their control.
According to the research, one in four women surveyed reported owing money to the government. These mothers claim that financial strain has had serious consequences. Most respondents say they have reduced spending on essentials like food, more than half are going without necessary medication, many struggled to cover school-related costs, and a significant number delayed or avoided seeking healthcare.
Led by Professor Kay Cook, the research calls for major reform, particularly separating child support from FTB calculations and redesigning the system to better prioritise safety, clarity and fairness.
According to the report author Professor Cook, current policy settings can allow abusive former partners to sidestep their obligations while shifting financial risk onto victim-survivors. The overlap between tax reporting, child support assessments and FTB entitlements can produce outcomes that undermine efforts to address family violence and protect children.
The findings, developed in collaboration with Single Mother Families Australia and Southern Cross University, highlight how these systems, individually and collectively, can create pathways for what is described as “systems abuse.”
Data from the report shows that family violence remains widespread among single mothers, even where child support arrangements are in place. Many women are owed unpaid child support, while others incur FTB debts due to delayed tax filings or retrospective reassessments linked to their former partner’s financial reporting.
Awareness of how these debts arise is also limited, with only a small proportion of women understanding that changes in care arrangements or unlodged tax returns can trigger overpayments and subsequent debt recovery.
Professor Cook says that the complexity and lack of transparency in the system make it difficult for women to anticipate or manage these outcomes. In many cases, child support payments remain unpaid, while any FTB overpayments are automatically recovered, further compounding financial stress.
Terese Edwards from Single Mother Families Australia described “Fembot Debt” as a clear policy failure, arguing that meaningful reform is needed to prevent ongoing harm to women and children.
Without structural changes to how taxation, child support and FTB intersect, she says, vulnerable families will continue to face unfair financial burdens.
Download and read Fembot Debt: Data injustices, child support and family tax benefit debts.
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