Single mother has difficulty collecting her GST benefit

But instead of receiving the money, Alberta’s Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) seized the funds because she has outstanding arrears for child support.

Nugis was upset by the move as she has been maintaining a repayment arrangement for a year.

“How can COVID-19 relief benefits be used to pay off debt that isn’t created in the COVID-19 pandemic? That’s where I’m stuck. And my working relationship with Maintenance Enforcement is not there because I’ve been in this system and Maintenance Enforcement for so long, my story is I could probably write a biography or a memoir already about it, it’s been so crazy,” she said.

Nugis has been making calls and sending emails.

She also took the issue up with her local MLA and found out Wednesday she will be refunded $627 dollars.

The money should be in her hands next week along with a confirmation letter.

But she says the issue still sits, why was federal relief monies garnished for federal debt?

We took the question to Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes.

He could not provide an answer but did say the government has given Maintenance Enforcement more authority.

He also encourages those to call his MLA office for help.

“I have a lot of empathy for those people in particular who are caught in this situation with younger children and families, but the government of Alberta is giving the officers involved in Maintenance Enforcement more power, more latitude to hear these stories,” Barnes said.

Meantime, Nugis is relying on the child tax benefit on May 20, but that’s a month and a half away.

And she’ll have to stretch her funds while paying her payments over the next month and a half during the COVID-19 crisis.

by Chantal Wagner

Single mother has difficulty collecting her GST benefit

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