The Agency for the Insurance of Workers' Claims paid 4,056,042 euros in temporary maintenance for 3,342 children last year on behalf of parents who do not pay child support, according to the Agency's annual report for 2025.
The Agency took over the payment of child maintenance on behalf of parents who avoid this obligation through the new Law on Temporary Maintenance, which came into force last year. The right is exercised through the child's legal representative and lasts until the person liable for maintenance begins to fulfil their obligation regularly.
A child acquires the right to temporary maintenance if the liable person pays less than the legally determined amount or if they fail to fulfil the obligation, in whole or in part, for more than a month since it became enforceable.
Recovery from defaulting parents remains negligible. Last year, the Agency recorded claims of 4,129,628 euros based on paid maintenance, but only 1,765 euros in principal was returned to the state budget. At the end of the year, the state was claiming 4,054,276 euros in principal and 73,586 euros in interest from defaulting parents.
The Agency's primary task remains the protection of workers whose employers have gone into bankruptcy or had their accounts blocked. On this basis, 3,336,960 euros in claims were paid last year for 816 workers across 62 bankrupt debtors, and 2,236,614 euros were returned to the budget from the bankruptcy estate.
Slightly more than half of this amount, 50.79 per cent, relates to unpaid wages, compensation for unused annual leave and sick leave borne by the employer, while 40.83 per cent relates to severance pay and awarded damages for workplace injuries or occupational diseases. The Agency also paid 1,672,468 euros for 750 workers whose employers had blocked accounts.
