BETA partnered with the Australian Government Department of Human Services to simplify the process parents undertake when updating their details with the Child Support Scheme.
Sending a confirmation SMS to parents made a big difference. We found this not only reduced the number of parents who called, but if they did call, they would do so later.
The outcomes of this trial show how a small change in a traditional application process could have a substantial impact on the overall experience for all parties involved. This finding could be applied across a range of Human Services’ or other government programs where people are waiting for a response or an update
Authors: Professor Michael J. Hiscox, Scott Copley, Jacqui Brewer, Andrei Turenko, and James Wilson.
Pre-registration information
Parents within the Child Support Program can apply for a Change of Assessment (CoA) when they experience a change in their circumstances that might affect their child support payments or entitlements. This is done by lodging an application with the Department of Human Services (DHS).
The aim of the study is to examine whether providing timely and salient information about the receipt and process of a claim improves process transparency and saves client time and effort by reducing the need for calls to check on the status of applications. It will also free up DHS Service Officers to respond to other client calls.
