Child support payments are decreasing as job losses and economic hardships increase. As the recession drags on, parents in South Carolina and around the country are unable to meet their financial obligations. Many parents are seeking lower child support payments as their wages are cut or they are pushed into unemployment.

Child welfare officials are concerned the lower support payments are pushing more children into poverty and food stamp dependency. The problem may also quickly become worse when parents' jobless benefits begin to expire.

A noncustodial parent who loses a job typically can petition to reduce court-ordered child support payments. Such petitions increased by 40 percent last year in Franklin County, Ohio. This increase translated into a $3 million reduction in court-ordered child support across the state, even while the number of child support orders increased by 16,000. Similarly, in Berks County, Pennsylvania, the number of parents seeking reduced payments jumped 64 percent in less than two years.

Meanwhile, actual collections are dropping even faster. Ohio saw a $27 million decline — a 20-percent drop — in child support collections between December 2009 and January 2010. Similarly, state child support payment collections in New Hampshire dropped nearly 7 percent in 2009 after several years of steady increases.

The drop correlates with an increase in child support money withheld from unemployment benefits, indicating a correlation between job losses and child support payment decreases. In New Hampshire, the amount withheld from unemployment checks more than tripled from 2008 to 2009.

Many states require parents to pay a smaller proportion of their unemployment checks. For example, in North Carolina, parents may be required to pay up to 40 percent of earned wages, but just 20 percent of an unemployment check.

Government officials around the country are responding with new policies to ensure continued child support payments. In San Bernardino, California, county officials have intercepted tax refunds and stimulus checks, and sought real estate liens against parents in arrears on child support payments. County Child Support Services Director Connie Brunn, however, said she wants parents to request reductions and work within the system rather than trying to dodge their legal duty.

A parent who is having difficulty meeting child support obligations should consult a family law attorney, who can prepare legal paperwork and argue on behalf of the parent.