STIMULUS PAYMENT INTERCEPTS
THE INTERCEPTION of Economic Stimulus Payments due to back child support does not help the economy but hinders it. The parent that is owed child support already receives a stimulus payment for themselves as well as their child. Taking the person who owes supports stimulus on top of tax refunds causes further injury to those who are not willfully behind on support, such as involuntarily disabled, or unemployed due to the virus. The stimulus is to stimulate those who need it most and the ones who get hit hard are the ones who want to pay their support but cannot and they are getting no relief as a result of the stimulus. The absent parent who is out of work, or unable to work, is left potentially without any resources at a time where shelter at home is the primary goal to prevent the spread of the virus. If the person who owes support was forced to apply for unemployment, that is also something garnished for support, as well as tax intercepts for refunds. If they are in the gray area with the years of fighting for disability through Social Security then they most likely will not receive any state assistance until they are deemed disabled by the Social Security Administration. This leaves the absent parent often times not only in a bind but potentially homeless, unemployed and suffering without any hope for the future. There is a lot that was not considered when the decision to intercept stimulus payments was put into play. There is also no recourse or any way for the parent who owes back support to contest the intercept as a result of extenuating circumstances, economic hardship, disability, unemployment (not voluntary), quarantined, homelessness, etc. . . with no relief they will sink further into arrears as a result of this action. If an intercept must take place then the parent who owes child support should at least be entitled to some sort of stimulus since the parent who is owed already receives as a stimulus for that child. As it stands now, every person behind on support who has an enforceable intercept regardless of their financial circumstances will not be receiving a stimulus. The absent parent who already receives a stimulus for themselves and the child will be the ones who suffer in the end when future support is not received as a result of increased financial burden and preempting further decline in an already tumultuous situation .
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