Federal law requires child support agencies to take a variety of actions to encourage the collection of past-due child support. One such tool available to the Child Support Services Division (CSSD) is consumer credit reporting. Under this law, CSSD can provide consumer credit reporting agencies with the name of any parent who owes past-due child support.
Frequently Asked Questions -- Credit Bureau Reporting
What is a consumer credit reporting agency?
A consumer credit reporting agency is a company to which business firms apply for credit information or data on existing and future customers. These businesses are also referred to as credit bureau agencies. CSSD sends reports of delinquent child support to Equifax.
When is a parent reported to credit bureaus?
Under District of Columbia law, a parent's past-due child support amount must be at least $1,000 before being reported to a consumer credit reporting agency.
Does the parent receive notice before the credit bureaus are notified?
Yes, pre-reporting notice is provided. Once the parent reaches a past-due balance of $1,000, CSSD sends notice that a credit bureau report will be made during the next monthly processing cycle (30 days from the date of the notice) unless that parent brings the past due balance under $1,000.
Can the parent dispute the credit bureau report?
After receiving notice of the upcoming reporting, the parent may object by both contacting CSSD and filing a written objection within 30 days of the date listed on the notice. For assistance, contact the CSSD Enforcement Unit case management specialist assigned to the case at (202) 724-2316.
If CSSD finds that there are no arrears or that they are less than $1,000, the parent's name will be removed from the consumer credit reporting list and will not be reported during the next monthly processing cycle.
What information is reported to the consumer credit reporting agency?
CSSD reports:
- The non-paying parent’s name
- That parent's Social Security number and date of birth
- The past-due balance owed
CSSD sends financial updates on a monthly basis to provide current information to the consumer credit reporting agency, including the new past-due balance and any payments made since the last reporting.
Will the parent’s name ever be removed from the reporting list?
Once the parent has reduced the past-due balance to $0, CSSD will report the final balance as paid in full. However, the reporting may stay on the parent's credit report for 7 years from that paid-in-full notification. The parent also may be reported again, whenever the arrears balance reaches $1,000.