In accordance with the transitional provisions of the Maintenance Guarantee Fund Law (Fund Law), the amount of maintenance to be paid out from the Maintenance Guarantee Fund (the Fund) will increase as of 2020, at the same time providing unlinking thereof from the minimum monthly salary.
If in 2019 maintenance is paid for a child in the age under 7 years in the amount of 103.20 euro each month, then in 2020 they will be 107.50 euro. For a child in the age between 7 and 21 years maintenance is currently paid in the amount of 122.50 euro per month, but as of 2020 it will be - 129.00 euro.
The Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the Administration of the Maintenance Guarantee Fund (Administration of the Fund) has introduced several restrictions for debtors of maintenance, in order to facilitate the increase of recovered funds (for example, application of criminal liability for avoidance from the obligation to maintain a child, a prohibition to drive a vehicle or vessel etc.). As a result of the above-mentioned measures, the total amount of recovered debts has significantly increased. For example, in 2018 on average 16% from paid-out maintenance were recovered per month, in 2019 - so far 21% from the paid-out maintenance on average per month. However, regardless of the introduced restrictions, the total number of debtors and their debt liabilities towards the State continue to increase each year. If the number of debtors of maintenance was 35,173 in 2017, then currently the number of debtors of maintenance has increased almost by 6,000 persons.
In order to balance the amount of maintenance to be paid out with the available funds of the State budget and provide means of support to all children, who do not receive maintenance from their parents, but receive them from the Fund, amendments are developed to the Fund Law, providing that the State funded maintenance are deducted from the minimum monthly salary. The above-mentioned amendments were developed on the basis of the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of 13 September 2019 and the Cabinet will review them during the meeting of 1 October 2019.
The Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the Administration of the Fund continues the work on development of new mechanisms, in order to motivate the debtors to provide the child with maintenance. For example, closer cooperation between the Administration of the Fund with the State Revenue Service is planned, in order to fight against those debtors and their employer, who take a part in concealing of true income. Besides, the work is being performed on the regulation that will enable to impose new restrictions to debtors, including a prohibition to do gambling.