Unpaid child support $17m

Taranaki parents owe the taxman a staggering $17 million in unpaid child support.

Inland Revenue documents released to the Taranaki Daily News show more than half the parents liable for child support in the region had an outstanding debt.

A total of $6.7m of the money is assessment debt, money either passed directly on to the childrens' guardian or paid to the Government to cover the cost of providing a benefit to support the children.

The rest of the owed money – more than $10m – is made up in penalties.

The figures show 64.5 per cent, or 2559 of the 3965 parents liable for child support in the region, had an outstanding debt.

Problems with the Family Court system are being blamed for much of the outstanding debt.

While fathers shoulder the majority of the debt, 20 per cent of liable parents are mothers so it's not just an absent dad issue.

A New Plymouth man, who would not be named due to an ongoing custody battle, said the Family Court system was flawed.

"Unfortunately they go straight to `the-mother-gets-the-kids'."

The 33-year-old said he would like to spend more time with his daughters which would reduce his child support payments, but his former partner was blocking him.

He was also angry his partner made him buy nappies, medication and other items, which should be covered by his child support payments, when the girls stayed with him.

Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said there were major shortcomings with the assessment and collection of child support payments.

"There are parents who shirk their responsibility. Some parents are happy for the sex but not the consequences," Mr McCoskrie said.

The children and responsible parent became the victims, he said. "We must hold people accountable for their actions."

Mr McCoskrie said parents were also losing out because the Family Court system did not start with the presumption of shared parenting and endorsed no-fault divorce.

"Parents who want to maintain a marriage and family can lose everything and the DPB can simply drive the problem further by rewarding the breakdown," he said.

The founder of the Fathers of New Zealand organisation, Andy Wotton, said the child support system was "totally disgraceful and dysfunctional."

"It just doesn't work properly," Mr Wotton said, adding that he believed the Family Court system needed to be changed.

"They are not going to solve the child support problem until the Family Court allows greater involvement of fathers with their children.

"Generally fathers who are involved with their children pay their child support," Mr Wotton said.

An Inland Revenue spokesman said the majority of liable parents pay their child support in full and on time.

The department had collected 89 per cent of all child support assessed since the scheme started in 1992, and 70 per cent of new debt cases were resolved within 12 months.

- © Fairfax NZ News