Poles' alimony arrears amounted to PLN 16 billion. The database already includes over 290,000 parents who avoid paying for their children, the National Debt Register reported. The average debt of a so-called alimony holder is currently nearly PLN 54,000.
The authors of the report recalled that on November 21, the Sejm adopted a draft amendment to the Act on assistance to those entitled to alimony. He assumes increasing the benefit from PLN 500 to PLN 1,000 per month. In the authors' opinion, this change is very desirable because it is in the National Debt Register maintenance debt already amounts to PLN 16 billionand the number of debtors exceeds 294.7 thousand.
“The vast majority of them, 94%, are men. They also have almost 23 times more debt than women (PLN 15.2 billion compared to PLN 664 million). The average debt of one alimony debtor is nearly PLN 54,000,” we read in report.
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Most are “financial recidivists”
According to Kaczmarski Inkasso, the number of debtors is constantly growing, and there are many reasons for this, including: evading the obligation to pay alimony, social consent for not paying alimony, e.g. by employing debtors “illegally”. – In addition, 60 percent of them are financial recidivists who, in addition to alimony, also have arrears to other creditors. Mainly banks, telecommunications companies and courts. They do not pay for driving without a ticket or for rent in apartments – explains Jakub Kostecki, president of the management board of Kaczmarski Inkasso, quoted in the report.
It was reported that the largest debt was PLN 110,000. inhabitants of medium-sized cities and amounts to PLN 5.9 billion. Whereas 103.7 thousand debtors live in villages and small towns, and their arrears amount to PLN 5.5 billion. “81,000 alimony payers live in large cities with a debt of PLN 4.5 billion,” it was added.
The largest number of alimony debtors live in Silesia (36.6 thousand), and the inhabitants of Mazovia have the highest debt (over PLN 2 billion). However, the alimony debt of the following voivodeships is over one billion: Silesian (PLN 1.8 billion), Lower Silesian (PLN 1.4 billion), Pomeranian (PLN 1.2 billion), Greater Poland (PLN 1.18 billion), Kuyavian-Pomeranian (PLN 1. 05 billion PLN) and Łódź Province (PLN 1.01 billion). The fewest such people and the smallest amount of debt are in the province. Opole Voivodeship, where 7.1 thousand people live. and their debt is almost PLN 380 million.
The number of young debtors is growing
The authors of the report noted that the youngest debtors are growing the most, as their number in the 18-25 age group has increased from 773 to 1,158 over the last year. In the group 26-35 there was an increase of 8%, and in the group 26-45 by 1.7%. “These are usually men without a job, studying or reluctant to take up their first job,” it was assessed.
It was emphasized that the sum of PLN 16 billion of debt in the KRD are debts entered into the register by the Municipal and Municipal Social Welfare Centers (MOPS and GOPS), which pay alimony from the alimony fund as a substitute for the non-paying parent. It was noted that the payment could be received by a child whose family's net income per person does not exceed PLN 1,209. “If it is higher, then such a debtor can be entered into the KRD by the parent who takes care of the child. Most often, these are mothers, but they very rarely use this option,” it was noted.
Main photo source: Shuttestock