Child maltreatment (CM) is a major public health concern with life-long effects. Its impact on income support has rarely been studied. 

The objective of this study was to examine the association between CM and receipt of income support payments and the budgetary impact for persons 16 to 33 years.

The authors linked child protection (CP) administrative records with national welfare payment records and found among those receiving any payment, adjusted annualised mean benefit payment was $3,754 among individuals with no CP contact, $6,262 in persons with any CP contact, and $9,747 in persons who'd been in out of home care. Modelled for the Australian population to age 33, the extra cost associated with CP contact added 39 % to the government income support budget.

It was concluded that CM is strongly associated with receipt of income support payments. Investment in effective preventive and protective strategies for CP involved children could address this core social determinant of health, while providing budget savings.