Soon incarcerated parents may not have to pay child support

Parents who are required to pay child support don’t always make their monthly payments like they are supposed to. For whatever reason, they may feel as though it is OK to ignore the fact that their child is growing and requires the aid of both parents financially, as well as in other ways. For parents who are behind bars, their failure to pay child support isn’t always because of they do not want to, but for another reason.

It was recently reported that parents who are currently in prison may no longer have to make child support payments while they are behind bars. Being incarcerated is considered voluntary impoverishment by child support agencies, which basically means that parents are not making payments because their poverty and lack of money are a choice they made. While some parents may not want to make these payments, it was pointed out that in many cases, the monthly payments incarcerated parents are expected to make exceed their prison income. However, they may be getting a break thanks to the Obama administration.

With the Obama administration authorizing new regulations that will require child support agencies to consider incarceration involuntary impoverishment, parents in jail may get a break from making payments. Should these parents not be required to make monthly payments until they are released, this will affect their children who have growing needs. This could also mean trouble for the parent who is caring for the child because they will have to raise the child without the help of child support.

This does not mean that parents who are not in prison are able to get away with not paying child support, especially if the parent is employed and has no reason for not paying other than not wanting to contribute financially to their child’s life. Any parent who is owed child support should contact an attorney, as they may be able to assist with getting children the money they are owed and deserve.

Source: The Washington Post, “For men in prison, child support becomes a crushing debt,” Eli Hager, Oct. 18, 2015