Fresno County Department of Child Support Services

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Fresno CountyDepartment of Child Support
Services Employer Workshop
Welcome
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Topics

• The basics of Wage Withholding

• State Disbursement Unit 101

• What? Why? How?
• Employer Benefits
• Employer Responsibilities
• What can you expect?
• Employer Dos and Donts

• Question and Answer session

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The Basics
Order / Notice to Withhold (NTW)National Medical
Support Notice (NMSN)

• Included in all child support orders that Child
  Support Agencies are involved in.
• Mandatory that our office enforce these orders
  when they exist.

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The Basics
Order / Notice to Withhold

• Timeframes
• 10 days to begin withholding
• Must send payments within 7 days of withholding.

• Remittance Information
• Name
• SSN
• Case Number / Court Order
• Amount withheld (for each employee if sending
  in one check)
• Date withheld

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The Basics
Order / Notice to Withhold

• Withholding Limits
• Must honor all Orders to extent possible.
• Not to exceed 50 of disposable earnings.

• Other Requirements
• Provide a copy of the Order to the employee.
• This order has priority over any other legal
  process (if federal tax levies exist, please
  contact our office)
• Employers may deduct a 1.50 administrative
  fee.
• Upon termination of employment, complete
  termination notice and return to our office.

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The Basics
National Medical Support Notice (NMSN)

• Timeframes
• Within 20 days, you must forward the Medical
  Support Notice to the Plan Administrator.
• Upon notification that the children are
  enrolled, begin withholding the appropriate
  employee contribution for that plan.

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State Disbursement Unit(SDU)
What is it?

• Single location for employers and parents to send
  child support payments for
• All orders enforced by child support enforcement
  agencies (IV-D)
• All private child support orders (Non IV-D)

Employers and Payors will begin sending
payments directly to the SDU effective September
1, 2006
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Why Implement a SDU?

• Federal Law - US Code 42 USC 654B
• Requires all states to establish a central
  location for processing child support payments,
  including all employer wage assignments. The
  laws intent is to
• Improve the accuracy of child support records
• Speed payment processing and
• Streamline wage assignment processing for
  employers.

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Employer
Heres how it used to work before the SDU
County 3
County 1
County 2
Family
Family
Family
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Employer
Heres how it will work now Effective 9/1/2006
SDU
County 3
County 1
County 2
Family
Family
Family
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Non IV-D(Private Wage Assignments)

• Definition - A Non IV-D case is one in which
• A local child support agency is not enforcing,
• An employer is sending wage assignment payments
  directly to an individual.

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Non IV-D(Private Wage Assignments)
Effective September 1, 2006, the SDU can begin
collecting Non IV-D child support payments and
disburse them to the family.
Employer
SDU
Family
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Key Employer Benefits
When fully Implemented

• Single point of contact for payment inquiries
• Reduces employer check processing cost
• Reduce postage costs
• Use of electronic payment methods

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Key Employer Benefits
When fully Implemented

• Employers will no longer send checks to
  multiple child support enforcement agencies and
  custodial parties
• Multiple payments can be sent together in
  single check which will need to contain specific
  information

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Key Employer Responsibilities

• Provide wage assignment data (FL 195) as
  requested
• Comply with instructional notices regarding
  redirection
• Prepare payroll systems for updated change of
  address for the SDU
• Identify and associate to all non IV-D payors a
  CCSAS case number

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Key Employer Responsibilities
Most Importantly - Provide accurate remittance
information
For Support Payments Currently Sent to a
California Local Child Support Agency, provide
the following

• Employees Full Name
• Employees Social Security Number
• Court order / Case Number

• Amount withheld from each employee
• Date withheld

For Support Payments Currently Sent to a
Individuals (Non IV-D), provide the following

• CCSAS (California Child Support Automation
  System) Case Number

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Employer
Heres how it will work now Effective 9/1/2006
SDU
Non IV-D Family
County 1
County 2
Family
Family
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What Can Employers Expect?

• Informational correspondence
• Non IV-D (private child support order) data
  gathering letters and forms requesting
  information
• Telephone calls to employers to
• Assist with electronic funds transfer
• Verify data collected
• Letters with redirect (change of payment address)
  information and instructions

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SDU Electronic Help Desk

• SDU will contact employers to promote the use of
  electronic collections methods
• Provide formats and assistance for electronic
  payment processing
• Contact employers about when to implement
• The toll free number is 1-866-325-1010

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Employer Dos and Donts

• DO
• Send payments in timely!
• Read and follow the instructions in SDU notices
• Send payments to new address only when
  instructed
• Call Electronic Help Desk if you have questions
• Continue to contact Local Child Support Agencies
  for general case management issues

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Employer Dos and Donts

• DO
• Send only payments to the SDU not correspondence
  
• All Payments send to the SDU
• Fresno County Correspondence
• Fresno County DCSSP.O. Box 12946Fresno, CA
  93779-2946

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Employer Dos and Donts

• DONT
• Ignore the SDU notices
• Send non-child support garnishments
• Send voluntary private child support payments
  (not related to a wage withholding)
• Send correspondence, e.g. health insurance
  information or separation notices, etc. to the
  SDU this should be sent to the LCSA or the
  individual

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Other Contact Information
Fresno County Employer Hotline[phone]
Local(800) 300-8595 Toll Free
State Disbursement Unit(866) 352-1010www.casdu.c
om
California Department of Child Support
Services www.childsup.cahwnet.gov
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Fresno CountyDepartment of Child Support
Services Employer Workshop
Question and Answers