Consultations
Amendments to the Maintenance Orders
Enforcement Act
The Maintenance Orders Enforcement Act allows the government, through the Maintenance Enforcement Program (“MEP”) to collect child and spousal support payments. Prior to the implementation of this legislation, it was up to support recipients themselves to collect these payments, using their own resources.
Amendments to the Maintenance Orders Enforcement Act are proposed that will make support collection more efficient and bring it in line with similar legislation across Canada by:
· enabling MEP to obtain more timely and accurate information about income and assets;
- allowing MEP
staff to make reports to credit bureaus and, where a certain
amount of arrears have been accumulated, place restrictions
on, cancel or refuse to issue a driver’s license;
- permitting
MEP to disclose information about debtors who cannot be
found and who are in arrears of over a certain amount to
skip-tracing agencies, newspapers and websites; and
- implementing mechanisms to deal with debtors who arrange their financial affairs to escape support payments, such as garnishment of joint bank accounts and giving judges the power to set aside gifts to third parties where appropriate.
Amendments that would require the permission of the Maintenance Enforcement Administrator to withdraw from the program are also proposed.
Draft bill
Current legislation
Current regulations
For more information, contact:
Senior Policy Advisor
Policy and Planning
Department of Justice
Tel: (867) 920-3362
