France is launching a new government service with powers to withdraw money directly from bank accounts of parents who do not pay child support
PARIS – France is launching a new government service with powers to withdraw money directly from the bank accounts of parents who do not pay child support, with the aim of helping many families – the vast majority of whom are headed by single mothers – to emerge from precarious financial situations .
President Emmanuel Macron denounced in a tweet the unpaid child support as “an unbearable situation for hundreds of thousands of single parents”, before visiting a benefits agency on Tuesday in Tours, in central France, which is providing the new service.
“Thanks” for the measure, a single mother of three told Macron, detailing her personal situation in detail, involving domestic violence and harassment from her ex-husband and deep financial difficulties. “It is a great relief,” she said.
The mothers who spoke to Macron did not provide their names for privacy reasons.
French authorities estimate that between 30% and 40% of child support amounts are not paid, only partially paid or are paid too late – putting at least 300,000 families in financial insecurity.
Single parents represent one in four families in France, 85% of whom are mothers. One third live below the poverty rate.
For these families, getting alimony – an average of 170 euros ($ 209) per month for each child – is essential.
The measure also aims to prevent financial pressures and threats sometimes exercised by defaulting parents.
In the new system, any mother or father can apply for the new government service, regardless of whether the other parent disagrees. Once installed, the service processes the payment of the money until the child turns 18.
The issue was raised in 2019 during Macron’s “big debate” to allow the French to voice their complaints after weeks of anti-government yellow vest protests denouncing social injustice.
“I was impressed by the number of women who told me that they could not live decently because their child support was not paid,” said Macron at the time.
Many countries in Europe are facing similar problems.
In neighboring Belgium, deadbeat parents have been such an issue that the government has acted by creating a special service that helps people in their legal quest to receive the money due and distributes advances if necessary.
Last year, the Czech government proposed a program to guarantee the payment of alimony to single parents, which will take effect on July 1. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs estimated that the state will initially cover child support payments of up to 3,000 CZK ($ 140) per month for about 24,000 children. The government will then claim money from those who have not paid.
In Germany, about half of all child support payments by divorced parents are not or are not paid in full, according to estimates. In cases where the parents are very poor, the state pays child support until the children are 18 years old.
In Poland, a 2007 law established a fund that pays up to 500 zlotys ($ 134) for children who are not receiving the proper child support. Before that, parents can apply for a court order to try to get the money, but only about 13% of the overdue or unpaid child support is redeemed.
In many other countries, such as Greece, Spain and Portugal, the main appeal is sought in court, which often leads to long delays and costly procedures before any decision is made.
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Raf Casert in Brussels, Karel Janicek in Prague, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Aritz Parra in Madrid, Barry Hatton in Lisbon contributed to the story.