The Draft Child Support Management of Payments and Arrears (Amendment) Regulations 2012
Read the full outcome
Detail of outcome
The department will have the power to accept part payment of arrears in full and final satisfaction, but will only use this in exceptional cases.
Original consultation
Consultation description
This consultation concerned new arrears management powers allowing the department to efficiently manage the level of child maintenance arrears that have previously accumulated.
The department remains committed to pursuing arrears of child maintenance and ensuring that parents meet their financial responsibilities for their children. Arrears remain due, parents will not be relieved of their liability to pay and the department will (as now) continue to pursue arrears whenever a parent with care wishes and to do so is in accordance with the legal obligations and established policies. The proposed implementation of the debt management powers does not therefore represent a significant change of policy.
These powers will, however, aid the department in bringing to a resolution a small minority of cases where the arrears are unlikely to ever be collected in full.