Discussion and conclusion
This report explores the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of recipients and payers of child and spousal support. It also compares those characteristics of payers and recipients with whether or not they are enrolled in a MEP. Results were based on a series of data tables provided by Statistics Canada, and no analyses were undertaken on this data. For any future data linkage, analyses would be undertaken and it would be possible to build a profile of payers and recipients.
What was found:
- Payers and recipients enrolled in a MEP had a lower income than those not enrolled in a MEP
- More payers and recipients enrolled in a MEP lived in poverty than those not enrolled in a MEP
- More payers and recipients enrolled in a MEP received government transfers, social assistance, Employment Insurance, Goods and Services Tax credit and Canada Child Benefit than those not enrolled in a MEP
- More payers enrolled in a MEP were employed in the construction industry (18%), recipients enrolled in a MEP were more likely to be employed in the health care and social assistance sector (19%). In comparison, more payers not enrolled in a MEP were employed in public administration (21%), while recipients not enrolled in a MEP were more likely to be employed in an education, health care and social assistance sector (27%)
- A small proportion of payers and recipients enrolled and not enrolled in a MEP self-identified as visible minorities or as Indigenous
- For of payers and recipients enrolled in a MEP:
- Payers were mostly male and recipients were mostly female
- Payers were older than recipients
- Most payers and recipients contributed and received maintenance payments that were less than 25% of their income
- Payers with higher education credentials were less likely to owe arrears and were more likely to comply with regular and total monthly payments
Based on the tables provided, recipients enrolled in a MEP were in worse economic situations than payers, for instance:
- The median gross income of recipients was lower than that of payers
- More recipients lived in poverty than payers
- A higher proportion of recipients received government transfers, social assistance, received GST credits, and claimed CCB
- More payers were employed than recipients
- Home ownership among payers enrolled in a MEP was higher than that of recipients enrolled in a MEP. Recipients enrolled in a MEP were more likely than payers enrolled in a MEP to live in a subsidized housing
This study shines a light on the socio-economic characteristics of recipients and payers of child support for the three provinces that participated in the data linkage project. To obtain a national picture of socio-economic characteristics of payers and recipients of child and spousal support, more information is needed. In addition, further study is needed to examine the factors affecting arrears and compliance with support payments.
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