More than 400,000 cases in arrears
Unpaid child and spousal support hit a new high of $2.7 billion across Canada—up from $2.5 billion in November 2009, Statistics Canada reports. As of March 31, 2010, there were nearly 408,000 cases, most involving children, registered in maintenance enforcement programs, which process cases to ensure support is paid. (The study did not include Manitoba and Nunavut which don’t report such data.) In any given month, the survey said, just under one-third of cases were not in full compliance with payment. In March 2010, the majority of cases involving regular support payments had an average due between $1 and $400. Just over five per cent of cases owed more than $1,000.