State to begin paying out support for children with non-paying parent
The Estonian National Social Insurance Board will begin paying out child support to families left without the support of one parent on March 10.
The first to receive this new support will be those who applied for it in January; the state will pay up to €100 per child per month, reported daily Postimees.
Applications for the new type of child support opened at the beginning of this year, and according to the Estonian Chamber of Bailiffs and Trustees in Bankruptcy, 35 bailiffs have received a total of 990 applications. The total number could be higher, however, as there are 46 bailiffs in all in Estonia.
As of last December, there were a total of 8,895 parents who owed child support and while at the end of 2015, the total amount owed to children in Estonia was estimated to be approximately €14.5 million, the current total is considered to be more likely €52 million.
The Estonian state will pay child support to children during the course of enforcement proceedings in cases where a parent court-ordered to pay child support is not doing so.
Children up to the age of 18, or up to the age of 21 if they are studying, are eligible for child support.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
