RePost – Courier Mail, DeadBeat Parents Watch Out. Too Good. Repost Required.

Boys’ toys in their millions are being seized from daddy scrooges who are snubbing their legal requirements to pay child support.
Boats, property, cars and other luxury items worth up to $4 million were seized last year from 172 parents, who had claimed they could not afford to pay child support or just did not want to fork out the cash for their children.

And the latest data obtained by The Courier-Mail shows the second-highest debt belongs to Queenslanders, who are owed almost $288 million. Nationally, more than $1 billion is owed.

But money recovered by court orders and other measures do not come close to what is owed.

Last financial year, more than $25 million in outstanding child support payments were recovered through tax lodgement enforcements, $116 million was seized from intercepting tax refunds and almost $7 million was collected from departure prohibition orders – whereby parents are refused to leave the country unless they pay what is owed.

The rising debt puts pressure on Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews to reform the system, which can leave some parents, who are owed money, turning to welfare for help. More than 5 million Australians receive welfare in some form.

Mr Andrews refused to buy into the issue on Monday.

But tough-talking Human Services Minister Marise Payne said parents who deliberately avoided their responsibilities would be targeted.

“Child support payments ensure children receive the financial support they need. In most cases parents do the right thing by their children,” Senator Payne said.

“It’s not acceptable for parents to actively avoid their child support responsibilities. There are no winners and often it is their own children who suffer as a result.

“In a small number of cases where parents actively avoid their child support responsibilities the department can take action to enforce payment including selling assets, intercepting tax returns and preventing overseas travel.”

The Child Support Agency generally uses litigation as a last resort. A parent can be ordered by a court to pay their debt by issuing orders against specific assets.

Before taking the action, the agency needs to be satisfied that a parent has income or assets that would allow them to pay child support, but they choose not to meet their obligations.

Mr Andrews has asked for a long-term review of the welfare system and appointed former chief executive of Mission Australia Patrick McClure to head the project, which is expected to be finalised next month.

On another note:

Courtesy of Women’s Weekly;

Arizona law requires the State to post names and photos of individuals who owe child support to its website.

Ducey says more than 400 parents owe ‘a significant amount’ in overdue child support.

“If you don’t want your embarrassing — unlawful — and irresponsible behaviour going viral: man up, and pay up,” Ducey said.
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