Parents struggle with child support payments in tough economyby Dustin Grove (grove@wsbt.com)
(WSBT file photo) ELKHART — For a growing number of divorced parents, tough economic times and layoffs make it difficult to make their monthly child support payments. Multimedia Related Content
The Elkhart County prosecutor is trying to help. “The work here is like slim to none," Anthony Diaz told WSBT News. This year hasn't been easy for Diaz. He was laid off from his factory job — then from his second job before it even started. Paying child support for his three children is nearly impossible. “Basically, now there's no income," he said. "And there's no way in heck I can pay child support — you can't pay what you don't have.” Diaz isn't alone. Judges in the Elkhart County Courthouse hear cases daily of parents unable to make the support payments first agreed upon — because they were laid off. The unemployment rate in Elkhart County reached nearly 9 percent in August — well above the state (5.8 percent) and national average (6.1 percent) — and the child support system is taking notice. “We want to recognize and acknowledge that for those folks we may need to make some adjustments, to assist to make sure the kids do get some support payments made, as opposed to a situation where there's none at all," explained Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill. Hill says for the 12,000+ parents in Elkhart County making support payments, they can ask to pay less if they've been laid off. “Not everyone will qualify but we want to help the ones who can,” said Hill. Hill says this is not an excuse for people to neglect their support payments. You have to prove you've lost your job and you're actively looking for work in order to get your support payments reduced. To apply for a reduction in payments, (which is available in any Indiana county) click on the link in the Related Content box. Most PopularMore Good Stuff |
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