What happens to unpaid child support arrears?

If a person who is obligated to make child support payments in Pennsylvania fails to do so, the amount they owe is considered unpaid child support arrears. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is allowed to take a variety of measures to collect the unpaid child support payments. One of the most common methods of collecting unpaid child support arrears is wage garnishment. In these cases, DHS can contact the employer of the person who is behind in payments and require the employer to deduct a portion of the person’s wages and send it to DHS. In addition to wage garnishment, DHS can also file a lien on the person’s property, place a hold on any bank accounts in their name, take away their driver’s license, deny them a passport, or refer the case to the district attorney for criminal prosecution. The courts also have the right to impose a fine of up to $500 for each month that payments are late. Also, interest at an annual rate of 6 percent accrues on all unpaid arrears. Therefore, if child support payments are not made in Pennsylvania, the person liable for the payments can be subject to wage garnishment as well as a variety of other measures to enforce payment of the arrears.

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What happens to unpaid child support arrears?

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