22 Jan. 07

IRD Child Support Cock-up May Affect Thousands of Parents.

Parents for Children have been advised that Child Support Payments made between 12 and 19 of December 2006 were not processed till the 15 January 2007. Numerous parents have been charged late payment penalties and IRD have failed to contact affected parents.

Given that the due date for Child Support Payments is the 20th of the month Parents for Children estimate that this administrative cock-up may have impacted thousands of paying parents. Numerous parents have contacted Parents for Children after receiving late payment demands from IRD

"Its amazing that IRD can treat parents in this manner, no private business would get away with treating people like this but IRD continue to act like a law unto themselves. Everyone knows that there are huge problems with the Child Support Act and the administration by IRD, but Politicians continue to ignore the pleas of parents for real reform in favour of the status quo." : Responded Mark Shipman, of Parents for Children, when asked to comment on yet another IRD Child Support cock-up."

"Competent administrators would have promptly advised affected parents but IRD, with its captive child support paying parents and its culture of indifference, is treating parents in its usual manner. Nothing on the IRD website and silence in the media, no attempt to relieve the stress placed on parents by IRD incompetence and failure to meet statutory requirements. Its disgusting that IRD Senior Managers can get away with this and suffer no consequences and show no accountability. It's just another example of the many ways IRD creates the alleged billion dollar debt and the myth of delinquent parents."; Commented Mark when asked what IRD should be doing about the cock-up.

"Parents from throughout New Zealand are meeting in Wellington next weekend for the first National Child Support Reform Conference. They have had enough of the systemic failures, incompetence of IRD Officials and successive Revenue Ministers who have lost focus on the best outcomes for Kiwi Kids and become obsessed with collecting money. Its is obvious that Officials and Politicians will need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century and the conference will be the driving force for the direct action required to do so." Concluded Mark.

ENDS

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