Pages

Monday, November 30, 2009

MEP launches "Recalculation Program" (aka RP)

Alberta Justice - responsible for the "Maintenance Enforcement Program" (MEP, the group who acts as a collection agency for Child Support payments within Alberta) is apparently scheduled to launch it's "Child Support Recalculation Program (RP)" tomorrow. (http://www.justice.gov.ab.ca/recalculation)

This program will allow "creditors/debtors" a low-cost, alternative administrative process to changing child support payments - rather than undertaking a costly, time consuming and sometimes intimidating/challenging court procedure that has been in place up to now.

The program is intended to cover mostly "plain vanilla" situations where:
  • a child support order has been issued, registered, is outstanding and has been followed.
  • will be permitted once every 12 months.
  • minimal cost of $75 per application.
Undoubtedly as this program is just starting, procedures will be adopted and implemented as experience grows. More details can be found at the Alberta Justice website. Stay tuned.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's about time! I have seen my income drop by a third in '09' & twiced ask for a statement of finances from MEP to review my situation. Low & behold, they actually put it up by $25 dollars! Talk about kick a man when he's down. Now I have no license, cannot do my job & can't afford to see my son. Way to go MEP!

Anonymous said...

If you are self-employed, the RP can change the payments IF it is ordered to be done by the Courts -erasing the need to go back to court BUT only when getting the agreement of the credited party with no contest or no pending court dates for support issues only. This is to my understanding and probably not worth bothering about or spending the $75.00 sign up fee...what creditor is going to agree to a decrease of support if there is one?

Chris JONES said...

Comment by Anonymous is correct. If you are self-employed RP will not do anything. That is why I mentioned "plain vanilla". They are of course self selecting only those cases which are VERY SIMPLE. It's like the $25 H&R Block Income Tax processing charge - it hardly applies to anyone. It is only for those with very simple tax returns and only requires the filer to transpose a few numbers from a T4 slip to the T1 General and slap a stamp on it. Too easy. BUT, it is a minor step in the right direction (which probably is all they move on).

Anonymous said...

THE LICENCE THING SUCKS, THEY MAKE YOU A CRIMINAL AND LEAVE YOU NO LIFE AT ALL.

Anonymous said...

What sux is the parents who do no pay support... get a job, or heck get 2 jobs, you have laid down to make these babies and it is both parents responsibility to clothe, feed, educate, love ect these kids... children cant wait till the next pay cheque for food, so pay your support on time one way or the othr and there will not be a problem... the only people who hate the system are those who dont pay and deal with the penalties and fines.... these are YOUR children, make sure they are fed, clothed and have a roof over thier heads. It's your job.

Anonymous said...

my only beef with this new "so called good thing" is the way they calculate how much we pay. the should only make us pay on our Net income because thats what we use to live on. It is unfare that as a payor of child support i have no tax benefits no write offs. And we can't even ask for proof it is going to raise our child. I have have no problem paying for my mistake but please stop kicking me in the nuts for it!!!