Texas Child Support Collection Surpasses $3.5 Billion in FY 2013

 Posted on October 22, 2013 in Child Support

The State of Texas had a record-breaking year with child support collection, topping out at $3.6 billion for fiscal year 2013 which ended on August 31. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Texas reports that those benefits aided 900,000 Texas families. In 2012, the average amount of collections per Texas child support employee was $1.28 million.

More than $27 billion in child support payments has been collected since December 2002, when current Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott took office. According to the Texas OAG, their Child Support Division is number one in the country for child support collections, tripling the national average of 37 percent. Texas collections have exponentially increased over time.

"This success not only helps children all across the state, but it also ensures that parents – not the taxpayers – financially support their children," said Attorney General Abbott.

As a result of the record-breaking payments, 252,000 parents who formerly received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits were able to maintain financial stability without tapping public assistance stores. There was also a decline reported in the need for other programs such as food stamps and Medicaid.

New Texas Guidelines Favor Increases in Child Support Payments

Coupled with the Texas OAG efforts to enforce child support payment orders, the recent change in how payments are calculated may support future increases for Texas child support collection numbers. Beginning on September 1 of this year, the cap for net monthly resources changed from $7,500 to $8,550.

This change will apply to cases created on or after September 1. Any existing cases would need to be modified because the change is not automatic. An experience family law attorney can help with any child support modifications needed.

If you need help with pursuing or enforcing child support to provide a stable and financially-sound environment for your children, contact an Austin family law firm that keeps the best interest of your child as a top priority.