Kyla Lee Interviewed on Global News: Province to crack down on ‘deadbeat’ parents

The B.C. government has introduced new legislation that would allow ICBC to cancel the driver’s licence of someone who owes more than $3,000 in child support payments.

Currently, the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (FMEP) can ask ICBC to refuse to issue or renew a driver’s licence of someone with substantial arrears.

The FMEP will only cancel licences if someone is ignoring requests to pay support payments or set up a payment plan.

Currently there are around 9,900 people who have restrictions against them for not paying child support, including either a licence not be issued or not being renewed.

If the new legislation passes, a parent will get 30 days to set up a payment plan or pay off due support payments before licence is cancelled.
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​Vancouver lawyer Kyla Lee says the legislation unfairly punishes people who need their car to get to work. Lee says for those who do not have access to public transit, losing a licence could cause financial harm that would make paying pay child support even more difficult.

“All of these people are going to be significantly disadvantaged in the ability to correct the arrears by this legislation. It is also going to harm them by putting them in further dire financial straits,” said Lee.

Watch the full story on Global News here:
https://globalnews.ca/video/4151530/province-to-crack-down-on-deadbeat-parents