16/08/2026
Most South African parents don’t realise this:
Your maintenance obligations — whether you pay or receive maintenance — can now appear on your credit profile. And it can either strengthen your financial standing… or seriously damage it.
Maintenance is not just a legal duty. It’s a constitutional responsibility and a reflection of your commitment to your child’s wellbeing.
Here’s what every parent needs to know:
🔹 If you pay maintenance
Paying on time can improve your creditworthiness.
Falling into arrears can:
• Lower your affordability
• Increase your risk rating
• Lead to declined credit
• Trigger enforcement actions (EAO, warrants, attachment of debt)
Arrears are treated like civil judgments — and they follow you.
🔹 If you receive maintenance
Maintenance income can:
• Increase your disposable income
• Strengthen your affordability
• Help you qualify for credit
Credit providers treat it like any other stable income.
🔹 Why this matters
Non‑payment of maintenance is not just a financial issue — it is economic abuse, a form of domestic and gender‑based violence under South African law.
It harms children, burdens caregivers, and destabilises households.
🔹 A new era of accountability
Maintenance obligations and arrears can now be listed at credit bureaus.
This protects children, supports caregivers, and promotes responsible lending.
If you need help claiming arrears, calculating interest, or enforcing your order, the Responsibility Platform gives you access to the full suite of enforcement tools under the Maintenance Act — nationwide, discreetly, and professionally.
📌 Read the full article here:
https://www.responsibility.co.za/index.php/blog/what-south-african-parents-need-to-know-about-maintenance-and-their-credit-profile
📞 Need help? Contact us at 084 507 4354 or [email protected]
You carry families. You carry futures. You deserve systems that carry you too.
You’re invited to a free public maintenance‑responsibility seminar STADIO Waterfall Campus Waterfall Drive, Midrand, 1685 https://maps.app.goo.gl/g9zVDQFx5bhAP6gD6?g_st=aw
📅 Saturday, 29 August 2026
⏰ 09h00–16h00
🔒 Registration required – limited space
Register here https://forms.gle/yHfqcX6YVHkm2WZw7
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