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
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
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