What happens to accumulated arrears if the child ages out of support before they're paid off?

Accumulated arrears don't simply disappear once a child is no longer eligible for ongoing support. The obligation to pay off arrears that built up while support was owing is generally treated as separate from the question of whether support continues going forward, so a payor can still owe, and still be pursued for, arrears from a period when support was due even after the child has aged out or otherwise stopped being eligible for continuing support.

This means the Family Responsibility Office's enforcement tools, such as garnishment, licence suspension, and credit bureau reporting, generally remain available to collect outstanding arrears even after the underlying support obligation itself has ended. For a recipient, this is reassuring in that arrears aren't simply erased by a child growing up; for a payor with old arrears, it's a reminder that the debt doesn't quietly resolve itself once regular support payments stop being due. Anyone unsure about the status of older arrears, on either side, should confirm the current balance and enforcement status directly with FRO rather than assuming the debt lapsed along with the support obligation.