On January 1, the reform of the payment of alimony came into force.
It provides that the Caf, the Family allowance fund, intervenes in the event of default of the former spouse.
This system has proven itself in Quebec, where there are only 4% of unpaid pensions.
Having to fight in order to recover the money provided for raising your children. An aberration faced by more than 190. people every year. Because if a million people in France must receive alimony for their children, 20 at 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 18% of their resources. And the fact of not touching them worsens their living conditions, 20% of them being in precariousness.
This problem had strongly emerged during Great national debate , launched by the government in 2021. This had prompted him to go to the front to imagine the creation of a public maintenance service. Experienced last October only for people who have already been victims of unpaid debts, it benefited 000. 000 people. But since January 1 2019, it is generalized to all separated parents (whether or not they have already been victims or not of unpaid debts) and will be promoted again by Emmanuel Macron this Tuesday, during a trip to the Family Allowances Fund (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 awaiting the recovery of the debt by the dishonest parent, the Caf, always it, pays the injured parent an allowance of 40 euros per month and per child, knowing that the average amount of one 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 10 years of the child.
Effects that will be visible in the coming years
This system has made its proof in Quebec, which has only 4% of unpaid support payments. “It will help prevent and deter non-payment of pensions. And will erase any capacity for threat or pressure on the other parent, ”estimates the Elysee.
The government expects approximately 100. beneficiaries per year of its new service. But the increase in load 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 as much. And the system will not solve the problem of bad paying parents living abroad. 20210104