Stricter measures for child support enforcement

Starting this summer, judges will have the power to take away the driving license of parents who fail to pay alimony for their children. Repossession of goods is also possible. In this way, minister Koen Geens (CD&V) intends to reduce poverty among single parents, report De Standaard, Het Nieuwsblad and Het Laatste Nieuws.

The proposal has been circulating for years, with the Alimony Recovery Service, DAVO, investigating the possibility of putting this new, more drastic measure into effect. Now the proposal has received the green light from the parliamentary committee.

Last year defaulters racked up €280 million of alimony debt to ex-partners. DAVO was able to recover some of the debt, but €74 million remains unpaid.