Pretoria - The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is currently in possession of an amount of more than R3 million of unclaimed child maintenance monies countrywide.
For the past three years, the department has been struggling to trace the beneficiaries.
This backlog is due to late payments by respondents after the applicant has given up on following up on payments; while others are unaware that payments have been made after being told by the respondent that they will not pay maintenance.
According to the department’s spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga, the backlog is also due to the inability to have updated information about beneficiaries, while others are due to inactive bank accounts.
Mhaga called on maintenance beneficiaries, who have stopped collecting maintenance money or those who had cases pending, to check with maintenance offices if they qualify for this money.
“The maintenance beneficiaries may claim at the relevant maintenance court where they made an application and an order was granted for maintenance by that Maintenance Court,” he said.
For a beneficiary to claim the money, they must bring their identity document. - SAnews.gov.za
