Child Support Payments

Support Payments

Child support payments are to begin after a support order is entered.

CSSD cannot guarantee that the child(ren)'s primary custodian will receive payments on a consistent basis. If the other parent is making child support payments through wage withholding, that parent's employer should send the payments to the Child Support Clearinghouse according to the parent's pay dates. Otherwise, the parent is responsible for sending payments independently to the Clearinghouse according to schedule in the child support order.  Note that the Clearinghouse receives many payments by mail, and mail times will vary.

Once the paying parent or that person's employer makes a payment, however, the child(ren)'s primary custodian may choose how to receive the child support for the family.

Forwarding Support to the Family

Electronic Payments

Electronic payments are the fastest and most secure way to receive child support payments once they are made.  There are two electronic payment options:

  • Child Support Debit Card: CSSD is able to place child support payments on the payee's child support debit card.  A child support debit card can be used wherever debit cards are accepted.
  • Direct Deposit: A payee may choose to have child support payments deposited directly into either a checking or savings account at a bank or other financial institution.

To begin receiving payments electronically, complete an Electronic Payment Application Form (Pagos Electonicos -- Spanish version). Follow the instructions on the form to email, fax, or mail the completed form to CSSD.  After CSSD receives and processes the form, whenever the other parent makes payments that are owed to the family, they will be applied to the payee's debit card or bank account.

To stop electronic payments, send a written request to CSSD's FMU Manager by fax at (202) 585-0982 or by mail (400 6th Street, NW, Suite 8300, Washington, DC 20001), and include each case number on the request.  After CSSD receives and processes the request, electronic payments will stop within 2 business days.

Checks

If the child's primary custodian (the payee) does not choose an electronic method to receive the child support payments that are owed to the family, CSSD will send child support to the family by paper check. It is important to note that receiving paper checks is slower than receipt of electronic payments. Allow up to 10 business days to receive payment by check, as mail delivery times vary.

Contact the Child Support Clearinghouse at (202) 370-1470 if any of the following situations arises in connection with a child support check:

  • The check is stolen.
  • The check is lost. (Please wait 10 business days before reporting a lost check.)
  • The check is “stale dated” (i.e., is more than 90 days old).

Please contact the Clearinghouse to arrange for a replacement check to be issued.  Replacement checks generally are received within 3 to 5 business days from the date of the request.  Note, however, that receiving payments electronically eliminates the chance of losing a check or having it stolen.

Receiving Support in TANF Cases

The child's primary custodian may not receive all of the amount collected for child support when the family receives benefits through the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Custodial parents enter into an assignment of rights in exchange for TANF benefits; however, the law also allows a portion of some child support payments to pass through and be sent to the family.

Payment Information and Delays

Recent Payments

CSSD offers several methods for customers to see the most recent payments for a case. 

  • Online Case Lookup makes payment information available from any computer with access to the internet.
  • The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system provides case information over the telephone.
  • Customers may contact CSSD at (202) 442-9900 during normal business hours and speak with a customer service representative.

To learn more, visit the Obtaining Information about Your Case page of this website.

Payments on Hold

There are several reasons why a payment may be placed on hold.  Contact CSSD's Customer Service staff at (202) 442-9900, and a referral will be made to Financial Management staff to research the reason for the hold.  Please allow 30 days for processing.

Lost Payments

When a check is lost or stolen, contact the Child Support Clearinghouse to research the check's status.  If the check has not been cashed, the Clearinghouse will send the child's custodian (payee) an Affidavit for Replacement Check to complete, sign, notarize, and return.  Once the form is processed, a replacement check will be issued within 2 to 4 weeks.  If a check was cashed illegally, a criminal investigation may need to be conducted, which requires up to 90 days.

Clearinghouse telephone number: (202) 370-1470

Tax Refund Intercept Delays

When a support arrears payment is made through tax intercept, the distribution of funds to a family follows a different process.

The paying parent typically is notified about the tax intercept approximately 60 days before the Clearinghouse receives any funds. CSSD must apply the funds to the arrears balance when the collection is received; however, CSSD may delay disbursing funds owed to the family for a period of 1 to 6 months to allow for other claims to be filed.  Also, if tax refunds are received and a debt is owed to the District of Columbia, the debt owed to the District will be paid first per both federal and state requirements.

How to Pay Support

Paying-How To

 

 

Child Support Payment Methods

There are several ways for a parent to make the ordered child support payments. 

Wage (Income) Withholding Payments

When an employed parent is ordered to pay support, the Child Support Services Division (CSSD) is required to issue an Order/Notice to Withhold to that parent's employer(s). With wage withholding (also known as income withholding), the parent’s employer deducts the support obligation amount directly from the employee’s wages and sends in the support payments.

Keep a few notes in mind regarding wage withholding:

  • It can take several weeks to begin payment through income withholding. The paying parent is responsible to make all payments until the employer successfully begins sending in support payments.
  • Some employers charge a fee for income withholding, often about $2.00 per payroll deduction. 
  • The paying parent must notify CSSD of any new job so that CSSD can send an income withholding order to the newly identified employer.  However, the paying parent is responsible for making all payments between the end of wage withholding at one job and the start of wage withholding with the new employer.

Mailed Payments (Child Support Clearinghouse)

The DC Child Support Clearinghouse processes child support payments.  It receives and posts payments that are made through the mail, online, telephone, or Pay Near Me.  The Clearinghouse also disburses (or sends out) payments to the child(ren)'s primary custodian.

Paying Child Support by Mail

Money orders or checks must be made payable to: “District of Columbia (DC) Child Support Clearinghouse.”  Information must be written clearly and must contain the payor’s name, case number, and Social Security number.

Money orders and checks must be mailed to the appropriate PO Box as follows:

Payments from Parents

DC Child Support Clearinghouse
PO Box 37715
Washington, DC 20013-7715

Payments from Employers

DC Child Support Clearinghouse
PO Box 37868
Washington, DC 20013-7868

Payments from Other State Agencies

DC Child Support Clearinghouse
PO Box 37789
Washington, DC 20013-7789

Online Payments (Smart Pay)

Child support payments can be made online by credit or debit card by accessing dc.SmartChildSupport.com. Debit or credit card payments can also be made using the Pay by Phone option that is available through CSSD's Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system at (888) 470-1470. 

Cash Payments (PayNearMe)

PayNearMe is a convenient way to pay child support with cash at any local Walmart, CVS Pharmacy, 7-Eleven, or Family Dollar store.

The flyer below outlines how the program works and shares additional information.  Paying in cash is easy!

How to Provide Medical Support

Medical-How To

Most child support orders include a provision regarding medical insurance for the child(ren).  The order will direct one or both of the child's parents to obtain or maintain health insurance through an employer, an alternative plan, and/or by making cash medical support payments.

Following entry of a medical support order or upon notice that an ordered parent has new employment, CSSD will send the National Medical Support Notice (NMSN) to the employer(s) of the ordered parent(s).  The parent ordered to provide medical insurance must ensure that each employer/payroll office processes the NMSN in a timely manner.  If there is more than one health insurance plan available for a parent to select, the parent must choose a plan within 10 business days, or CSSD will make a selection. 

National Medical Support Notice

NMSN

An Overview of the National Medical Support Notice (NMSN)

The National Medical Support Notice (NMSN) is made up of four documents:

  1. Part A - Notice to Withhold for Health Care Coverage: Completed by the child support agency and sent to the employer.
  2. Employer Response: Filled out by the employer and sent to child support agency if it cannot enroll the child in health insurance (e.g., employer does not provide health insurance to dependents, individual has been terminated from employment, etc.). 
  3. Part B - Medical Support Notice to Plan Administrator: Sent by the employer to its health plan administrator if child can be enrolled in health insurance.
  4. Plan Administrator Response: Completed by plan administrator and returned to the child support agency.

    An Employer's Responsibility upon Receiving a NMSN

    Step 1: Determine whether any of the first four options on the Employer Response form apply.

    Step 2: If one of the four options applies, complete the Employer Response form and return it to the child support agency within 20 business days. If none of the four options applies, forward Part B to the company's health plan administrator.

    Step 3: The plan administrator will notify the employer when enrollment has been completed. At that point, the employer must notify its payroll group to begin deducting the employee contribution for the health plan. At this point, the employer also may determine that the total deductions exceed the maximum allowed under the Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) and any applicable state law.

    Step 4: If the amount of support, coupled with the health care premium deductions, exceeds the maximum deduction allowable, the employer must check the law in the state where the person is employed to determine the priority for payment. If CCPA limits preclude payment of ongoing support and health care premiums and the priority scheme does not allow for the payment of the health care premium first, the employer must notify the child support agency using the Employer Response form.

    Step 5: If enrollment cannot be completed until after a waiting period or other contingency, the employer must notify the plan administrator when the employee becomes eligible for enrollment.

    Understanding the Impact of SSI and SSDI on Child Support

    Sometimes a child's parent needs assistance to meet individual needs because of age, disability, or other circumstances.  The government's provision of such resources to a parent may have an impact on that parent's child support obligation.

    How Social Security Benefits May Affect Child Support

    Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

    What is Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

    SSI is a federal income supplement program that provides monthly cash payments to elderly or disabled people who have little-to-no assets.

    Is SSI counted as income for child support purposes?

    SSI is not factored in when calculating the income of either parent for child support purposes using the DC Child Support Guidelines. However, if a child receives SSI, the Social Security Administration reduces the child's SSI benefit by two-thirds of the amount that is paid in child support.

    Social Security Disability Income (SSDI)

    What is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?

    Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a program administered by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly cash benefits to disabled individuals and families who have a significant history of working. (In very general terms, the insured individual must have worked 5 of the previous 10 years.) There is no limit on the assets an individual can have and still be eligible for SSDI.

    How is SSDI counted for child support purposes?

    Under the DC Child Support Guidelines, SSDI is counted as income when calculating the child support amount.

    When a child receives SSDI derivative benefits, that amount counts as income from the parent from whom they derive. If that parent is the one who is ordered to pay support, the benefit amount is subtracted from the support obligation amount reached by using the guidelines, and the support order is based on the remaining obligation.

    Example 1: If the SSDI monthly benefit is $300, and the guideline support amount is $500, then the support order would be set at $200.

    Example 2: If the SSDI monthly benefit to the child is $300, but the guideline support amount is $250, then the order amount would be $0 because the monthly benefit is more than the support obligation under the guidelines.

    Additional Information

    Contact the Social Security Administration Office  or call 1-800-772-1213. (For the deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-800-325-0778.)

    FREE DNA TESTING 2018

    Free DNA Testing 2018 Image

    CSSD will be offering free DNA testing for the months of August and September.

    Below are the dates of availability. Be sure to bring a valid, un-expired identification card.

    Please also review the Events Calendar for all other outreach events.

     

    AUGUST 1, 2018

    6200 DIX STREET, NE (Eastern Avenue)

    2:00 pm—7:00 pm

     

    AUGUST 6, 2018

    441 4TH STREET, NW SUITE 550 NORTH

    9:00 AM—4:00 PM

     

    AUGUST 8, 2018

    115 ATLANTIC STREET, SW (Bellevue Library)

    2:00 pm—7:00 pm

     

    AUGUST 17, 2018

    441 4TH STREET, NW SUITE 550 NORTH

    9:00 AM—4:00 PM

     

    AUGUST 20-24, 2018

    441 4TH STREET, NW SUITE 550 NORTH

    9:00 AM—4:00 PM

     

    AUGUST 31, 2018

    441 4TH STREET, NW (Council Chambers)

    9:00 AM—3:00 PM

     

    SEPTEMBER 6, 2018

    441 4TH STREET, NW SUITE 550 NORTH

    9:00 AM—4:00 PM

     

    SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

    441 4TH STREET, NW SUITE 550 NORTH

    9:00 AM—4:00 PM

    Enforcing a Child Support Order

    Enforcing Support

     

    CSSD seeks to work with parents who are ordered to pay support and with their employers to ensure that the support obligation is met in a timely and consistent manner. This is the best way to provide children with the support that they deserve. However, when these efforts do not result in full or consistent support payments, the law also permits CSSD to use many resources to collect support.  CSSD welcomes parent questions about enforcement tools and how they apply to individual cases.

    Enforcement Tools -- Generally

    Income (Wage) Withholding

    When a parent is ordered to pay support, income (or wage) withholding is a typical way for a parent to submit support payments.  Income withholding requires the parent's employer to take the child support amount from the parent's pay. Withholding occurs before the parent receives any portion of the wages. All new or modified orders must include an order to withhold income.

    Disability Income Withholding

    Child support amounts may be withheld from the disability income of the parent who is ordered to pay support.

    Federal Tax Intercept

    The law requires federal tax refunds to be intercepted to meet back child support when the parent owing support has an outstanding balance. In cases involving TANF or foster care arrears balances, federal tax intercept is allowed when the unpaid amount reaches $150 or more; intercept is allowed for unpaid support of $500 or more in other cases.

    State Tax Intercept

    When a parent who owes support is to receive a DC tax refund, the law allows an intercept of that refund to meet the unpaid support amount.

    Lottery Intercept

    Cases with an arrears amount of at least $599 will be submitted to the DC Lottery Board for an intercept of the winnings of a parent who is ordered to pay support.

    Worker’s Compensation Intercept

    Worker’s compensation income may be intercepted and used to repay child support.

    Administrative Offset

    Administrative offset gives CSSD the authority to intercept certain types of federal payments when a parent owes child support arrears of at least $25.  The Department of Treasury will deduct 25% from the following types of federal payments:

    • Federal retirement benefits
    • Federal reimbursement payments
    • Federal travel/relocation reimbursements

    Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM)

    With the FIDM process, a parent who is ordered to pay support may have bank and other financial accounts located, frozen, and seized to pay back child support amounts.

    Driver’s License/Vehicle Registration Suspension

    CSSD may submit case information to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to suspend or revoke the driver's license and/or vehicle registration of a parent who has been ordered to pay child support but who fails to do so.

    Passport Denial or Suspension

    Cases with an arrears amount of at least $2,500 will be submitted to the U.S. State Department to have the passport denied, revoked, or blocked for renewal for the owing parent. Arrangements may be permitted in certain emergency travel situations.

    Lien Registry

    If a parent owns real or personal property in the District of Columbia and fails to make child support payments, a lien may be placed on that property. In those instances, if the property is sold, the lien must be paid before the parent can receive proceeds from the sale.

    Credit Bureau Reporting

    The law allows CSSD to report information about child support arrears to credit bureau agencies so that the failure to comply with the court order will be listed on the parent's credit history.

    Civil Contempt

    When a parent who was ordered to pay support fails to do so, CSSD may file a motion asking the court to find that parent in contempt of court. A civil contempt finding may result in a parent being ordered to pay a lump-sum amount, make scheduled payments, or be jailed.

    Criminal Contempt

    In cases in which a parent willfully disobeys the court's order to pay support, and other enforcement tools have been unsuccessful, CSSD may file a motion asking the court to hold that parent in criminal contempt of court. If the court agrees with CSSD, the parent ordered to pay support may be sentenced to up to 1 year in jail, placed on probation, or fined.

    How Parentage Is Established -- Generally

    Establishing parentage is a critical first step in the child support process, and it has other important benefits for a child and for that child's parents.  Below are the ways parentage may be established.

    The Paths to Parentage

    Automatic Legal Relationship

    If a child is born to parents who are married or in a registered domestic partnership, there is an automatic legal relationship between the mother's spouse/domestic partner and the child. The name of the spouse/domestic partner will be placed on the child's birth certificate.  The mother's spouse/domestic partner is presumed to be the child's parent by virtue of the legal union. 

    In the District of Columbia, when a child is born to unmarried parents or parents who are not in a domestic partnership, there is no automatic legal relationship between the father/other adult and the child.  However, there are two other ways to establish parentage for the child.

    Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP)

    Parentage can be established for a child if a mother and father voluntarily sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity. This method of resolving parentage is available if the mother was not married or in a registered domestic partnership at the time of the child's birth, conception, or anytime in between. If both parents complete the AOP form, they often don't have to go to court to establish parentage for the child, and the name of the other parent will be placed on the child's birth certificate.  CSSD can assist with this process.

    Court Order

    CSSD can help parents to establish parentage through the court.

    • Parentage Petition: If there is a dispute about parentage, CSSD can assist. CSSD can file a petition with the DC Superior Court. This petition will ask the court to reach a conclusion about the identity of the child's legal parent and, if appropriate, enter a child support order.
    • Court Hearing: To reach its decision, the DC Superior Court will hold a hearing. Both the mother and other potential parent must attend. At this hearing, the potential parent has a chance either to admit to being the child's legal parent or to present evidence disputing parentage.
    • Genetic Testing: If the man named as the child's possible father either is unsure about or denies paternity, the court may order a genetic test. If the test proves that he is the child's father, the court will issue an order that establishes the child's paternity. This order is legal proof and establishes the child's parentage. 

    Parentage orders may not be rescinded by the named parent administratively.  An individual who wants to contest a parentage order must file a motion with the court seeking to have the order overturned.

    Parentage and the Child's Birth Certificate

    District law determines the circumstances under which the name of a person other than the biological mother will be placed on a child's birth certificate. Placement of a person's name on a child's birth certificate shows the legal relationship between that individual and the child.

    Birth Certificate Basics

    Listing Parents on a Child's Birth Certificate

    The name of the child's biological mother will be placed on the birth certificate. Generally, the birth certificate also must include the name of the mother's spouse or domestic partner if either of the following applies:

    • The biological mother was married or in a registered domestic partnership when a child was conceived or born.
    • The biological mother entered a marriage or domestic partnership between the time of conception and birth.

    If the mother was not married or in a domestic partnership when the child was conceived or born, or did not enter such a relationship between conception and birth, the birth certificate cannot include the name of the spouse/partner unless the parents sign an acknowledgement of paternity (AOP) or there is a court order establishing parentage.

    The Child’s Last Name on a Birth Certificate

    District law determines the last name (or “surname”) that can be given to a child. The last name can be any of the following:

    • The mother’s surname when the child was born
    • The surname of the father or other parent when the child was born
      • NOTE: For the last name of the father or other parent to be listed as the child’s last name, this person must be recognized by law as the child's parent.
    • Both parents’ names recorded in any order (e.g., hyphenated or unhyphenated)
    • Any surname to which either the mother or father/other parent has a familial connection
      • NOTE: The District’s Vital Records Division requires a parent to sign an affidavit attesting to the familial connection.