Starting Today, "Child Support Advance Payment Income Requirement" Fully Abolished

Single-parent families who have not received child support can apply regardless of income
Up to KRW 200,000 per minor child per month

The income eligibility threshold for the child support advance payment program will be abolished entirely. Single-parent families who have not received child support can apply for advance payments regardless of their income.

On Oct. 29, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that it would abolish, effective that day, the income threshold for the program, which had previously been limited to applicants with incomes at or below 150% of the median household income.

Under the new rules, applicants may qualify if they hold a child support claim, if the monthly average amount of child support received during the three months (or three payments) immediately preceding the month of application is less than the advance payment amount, and if they are taking steps to enforce the child support obligation.

Requirements for submitting documents verifying income and assets, as well as the review process, will also be streamlined. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family expects this to ease the burden on applicants and shorten the time it takes to receive advance payments.

Under the child support advance payment program, the government pays child support in advance for minor children in single-parent families who have not received child support, then recovers the amount from the noncustodial parent. Once approved, eligible children can receive up to KRW 200,000 per month per child until they reach adulthood.

Since the program was introduced in July last year, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has provided approximately KRW 25.3 billion in support to 8,514 households with 13,442 minor children through September this year.

However, the recovery rate for advance payments remains low.

Of the KRW 7.7 billion in advance payments made from July through December last year, covering 4,949 cases, approximately KRW 1.1 billion, covering 1,169 cases, had been recovered as of September this year. The recovery rate was 23.62% by number of cases and 14.66% by amount.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to begin sending mobile payment notices through the National Tax Service at the end of this month to noncustodial parents who have not repaid their advance payments.

For the KRW 11 billion in advance payments made through the first half of this year, recovery notices and collection procedures are underway.

Minister Won Minkyung said, "Abolishing the income threshold for the advance payment program will enable more minor children in single-parent families to receive child support. We will expand government support for children who do not receive child support while also strengthening the recovery of advance payments from noncustodial parents, ensuring that their child support obligations are fulfilled."

Applications for child support advance payments can be submitted through the Korea Child Support Agency website or by mail. For more information, contact the agency's counseling hotline.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.