MEP collects $147 million for families
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MEP administers about 48,000 files and serves more than 96,000 debtors and creditors. |
When families break up, courts will generally make support orders to ensure that children receive the financial support they need to help them grow into well-rounded and successful adults.
The Alberta Justice Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) provides responsive and effective services to help families comply with the payment terms set out in maintenance orders.
Last year, the program collected over $147 million in court-ordered support payments on behalf of Alberta families, including 63,021 children.
MEP currently administers approximately 48,000 files, serving approximately 96,000 debtors and creditors.
In cases where support payments are not made, MEP is authorized to use a variety of enforcement procedures to collect payments, such as garnisheeing wages and bank accounts, seizing personal assets, placing liens on property to secure payments, reporting to the credit bureau and requiring debtors to appear in court to explain why payments have not been made.
Additionally, MEP may withhold motor vehicle services and cancel driver’s licenses for failure to comply with maintenance orders.
In July 2003, MEP announced that more than 7,600 Albertans had their driver’s licenses cancelled for falling behind in support payments. This represented about 15 per cent of the files currently held.
Also, federal legislation permits MEP to garnishee federal sources of income such as GST rebates, income tax refunds, employment insurance benefits and Canada Pension payments.
When parents who don’t pay cannot be found, program staff access motor vehicle records, Alberta Health Care, and federal data banks to try and locate them. MEP staff also work with other Canadian provinces and territories, the United States and many international jurisdictions.
Additionally, MEP has set up a “Help Us Find” web page that identifies parents who cannot be located and are not making the required court-ordered payments.
More information on MEP, or to view the “Help Us Find” database.
