New scheme to support single parents and punish maintenance allowance debtors in Estonia

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Estonia’s new Family Benefits Act extends the maintenance support paid by the state to single parents when the other parent has not fulfilled the obligations decided on by the court. The government will claim the amounts from the debtor parent using administrative measures. The new scheme will encourage single parents to go to court, and reduce their risk of poverty.

Authors: Andres Võrk and Hanna Vseviov