Family Responsibility Office admits over-billing 1,700 parents up to 15 years

[WorkingDAD]

Family Responsibility Office admits over-billing 1,700 parents up to 15 years


A mistake by the province's Family Responsibility Office will result in some money back for about 1,700 people, but reduced payments for their former spouses.

The agency that makes sure court-ordered support payments get to families blames an administrative error for the fact it has been charging some people too much for 15 years.

The agency added annual cost-of-living adjustments to the support payments even though those adjustments were eliminated in 1997.

Social Services Minister John Milloy says the extra charges amounted to $5.3 million, or about $75 per month for the average client.

All the affected people will see their court-ordered support payments lowered and the overpayment will be credited to their account or reimbursed.

People who received more than their court-ordered amount will have future payments reduced to correct the error, but they will not have to pay back any money because of the agency's mistake.

The Canadian Press

[hadenough]

I heard about this but what I don't get is - if the FRO follows Court Orders (presumably to the letter re: CS and SS amounts) how did this occur? Or is it re: their enforcement for ie: Section 7 expenses? This is quite the administrative screw-up!

[tiredofthisnow]

What I would like to know is how and when they will return the money! I went along with their adjustment, didn't question anything, they have a way of screwing with credit if you give them a hard time and now after years of paying have been released from FRO.
What are the odds they will actually return this money to me, I would love for my son to use it for college!!!

[hadenough]

Definitely give it a good try (to get money back) if you were overcharged. Now would be the time in light of this new revelation. Is there any way for you to know/calculate what you overpaid? It wouldn't be right for them to withhold money from anyone that overpaid due to their error, even if they are already out of the FRO. The Ministry of the Attorney Generals office might be a good place to start directing your inquiries to.

[tiredofthisnow]

I will look up the paperwork, all attached to my old tax refunds and then give them a call. I will let you know the outcome!

[AtALoss]

This is directly on the web page of Ministry of Community and Social Services

Bulletin for payors and recipients
January 2012

Child Support Overpayments

The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) is taking immediate steps to correct an administrative error and credit a limited number of clients who have overpaid child support.

The error involves an annual cost-of-living adjustment that has been incorrectly applied to some clients’ monthly support.

How we are fixing the error

The Family Responsibility Office will be contacting affected clients in the weeks ahead and all errors will be corrected. Affected payors will have their account credited or be reimbursed.

Clients who have received more than their court-ordered support amount will have their future payments adjusted to the correct amount. They will not be required to pay back any money received as a result of this error.

Whose cases are affected?

Your case may be affected if:
•you received an annual Notice of Cost of Living Adjustment letter from FRO with regard to child support after 1997, and
•your order for child support is enforced by FRO and dated after April 1997 in a Canadian province or territory except Quebec.

FRO will be contacting all affected clients, however, if you have had a cost of living adjustment applied to your case and think you may be affected you may also contact us.

Fill out our online form. We will review your file and tell you if you are affected.

You can also call FRO’s dedicated toll-free hotline at 1-855-376-2652 or 416-246-5399 for more information.

[AtALoss]

I dont know why but could not copy and paste the link. But if you know this applies to you I and my lawyer suggest that you contact them instaed of waiting and hoping. Good luck.

[tiredofthisnow]

I just called the hotline and they took my old case number, name, and everything else they needed. they said that someone would look at my case and call me back within 5 business days IF i qualified.
I'm sorry, IF, i paid from 1996 until 2010, why wouldn't a person qualify?
I will let you know the outcome of this as well.

[Berner_Faith]

It is my understanding that not everyone was subjected to the "cost of living adjustment"...if you were not charged this then no you wouldn't qualify...even if you did pay in that time frame.

[AtALoss]

Berner....
You are correct in that not everyone had this in thier orders. the majority came from orders that were before 1997. In the years that followed it was to stop as there was change to the law. Any COLA adjustments should have ceased then. As we see FRO was in no rush and if an individual was unaware it continued.