Last year the fund dispensed more than 22 mln euro to women and men whose ex-spouses don't pay child support.
The Maintenance Fund can collect only some of the debt, so the number of those who owe the state keeps growing and growing. Yesterday a list of the debtors was published on the homepage of the fund, and despite skeptical predictions, many have already called the fund to find out how to be removed from the list.
"If we compare the five months of last year with this year [...] the regained sum has grown by 30%," said Linda Sparāne, head of the Maintenance Guarantee Fund's Legal department.
However, the list only houses some 2,000 of the 30,000 debtors. Disabled people, those who can't work, and, for the most part, those whose ex-spouse doesn't want publicity, cannot be found on the list.
Presumably the negative effect publishing could leave on the children could be why so few mothers and fathers choose to allow listing their ex-spouse on the website.
The Maintenance Guarantee Fund stated that mothers and fathers who care for their children are in a position to determine whether publishing the debtors' name and surname can harm them.