A mother and her child.

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  • On January 1, the reform of the payment of alimony came into force.

  • It provides for the Caf, the Family Allowance Fund, to intervene in the event of default by the ex-spouse.

  • This system has proved its worth in Quebec, where there are only 4% of unpaid pensions.

Having to fight in order to recover the money provided for raising children.

An aberration that more than 300,000 people face each year.

Because if a million people in France must receive alimony for their children, 30 to 40% of pensions are not paid, not paid in full or paid late.

A scourge that primarily affects single-parent families, knowing that these pensions represent 20% of their resources.

And the fact of not touching them worsens their living conditions, 33% of them being in precariousness.

This issue had strongly emerged during the Great National Debate, launched by the government in 2019. This had prompted him to go to the front to imagine the creation of a public maintenance service.

Experimented last October only for people who have already been victims of bad debts, it has benefited 10,000 people.

But since January 1, 2021, it has been generalized to all separated parents (whether or not they have already been victims of unpaid debts) and will be promoted again by Emmanuel Macron this Tuesday, during a trip to the Caisse d ' family allowances (CAF) from Tours.

“It is support for parenthood, which should no longer be polluted by conflicts with parents”, comments the Elysee.

The Caf will play the role of intermediary

The principle of this system is quite simple: instead of leaving the injured parent to fend for himself, the State intervenes for him.

It is the Caf which plays the role of intermediary, since it recovers the amount of alimony due each month, before paying it to the parent who is the beneficiary.

If the other parent "forgets" to pay or is insolvent, the Caf turns to him.

While waiting for the recovery of the debt by the dishonest parent, the Caf, always it, pays the injured parent an allowance of 116 euros per month and per child, knowing that the average amount of alimony in France is 170 euros ( again per month and per child).

To benefit from this service, you simply have to make a request to the judge when the parents separate or to the Caf, without having to ask your ex-spouse for permission.

If the defaulting parent begins not to pay the pension again during the year, it is not necessary for the other to repeat the process with the Caf.

And this service runs until the child is 18 years old.

Effects that will be visible in the coming years

This system has proved its worth in Quebec, which has only 4% of unpaid support payments.

“It will help prevent and deter non-payment of pensions.

And will erase any ability to threaten or pressure the other parent, ”said the Elysee.

The government expects around 100,000 beneficiaries per year from its new service.

But the increase will be gradual, while the parents concerned make their request.

This implies that we will have to wait at least three or four years for the unpaid pensions not to be felt so much.

And the system will not solve the problem of deadbeat parents living abroad.

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  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Parents

  • Family

  • Society

  • Caf