Our state only takes on collecting child support for (non-welfare) children when the non-custodial parent is at least a month behind already on court ordered payments. I (and other middle income working parents I know) appreciate the state collecting it. If it wasn't for that, who knows when these exes would pay up? (It would get expensive to keep dragging him/her in to court.)
Would you be eligible for welfare if he payed you nothing?
Actually, the situation is pretty lousy with corruption. The fed pays states a bonus depending on how much is paid through the collection system. So, states have made a special effort to force men into the payment system to collect higher amounts of federal funding.