DCL-04-52, SSA Garnishment and SVES Match Report

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-04-52

ATTACHMENT: Obligors Receiving Title II Benefits -11/03/04

DATE: December 16, 2004

TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

RE: SSA Garnishment and SVES Match Report

Dear Colleague:

The Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) entered into an arrangement with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to conduct a one-time match between obligors on the OCSE Debtor file and the SSA Title II beneficiaries on the SSA State Verification and Exchange system (SVES). This one-time SVES match identified child support obligors who receive Title II benefits where an income-withholding order is not in place with SSA. The match further identified the dependent children that receive SSA Title II benefits through the obligors and their monthly benefit amounts.

The match identified 75,000 child support obligors where a potential for income withholding may exist. OCSE has created and sent a SVES Match Report file to each state in order that this additional source of child support may be assessed. During the week of November 22, 2004, files were sent on a compact disc, via Federal Express, to each state’s designated contact. Attached is a summary report listing the number of obligors found in each state.

Although the state may have evaluated some of these obligors and their cases for enforcement, this special SVES Match Report file may assist states in locating obligors for generation of income-withholding orders. States may evaluate some cases for review and adjustment because of the obligors’ changed circumstances. Other cases on the SVES Match Report file may require no action. When appropriate, state staff should refer custodial parties to SSA to apply for dependent and spousal benefits.

For this special project, OCSE and SSA have arranged for a temporary post office box, at SSA, where all withholding documents resulting from this one-time match should be sent. The address is:

SSA/OCSE
Suite 50
c/o P.O. Box 26430
Baltimore, Maryland 21207

SSA will collect the withholding documents daily and act upon them as quickly as possible. This central post office box will be temporarily available to handle only the cases identified from this match. Please note, service-of-process for all other income-withholding orders remains with the 1,300 SSA offices as referenced in Information Memorandum 02-11.

Because of the time sensitive nature of the matched data and the likelihood of increased monies for families, we asked states to place a high priority on processing the matched data. Additionally, in order to determine the benefits of this match, we would like states to provide any available feedback on collections and other case actions resulting from processing the matched obligors’ information.

Through this match, OCSE, SSA and states have the opportunity to work together to improve support to families whose obligors are receiving SSA Title II benefits. SSA Title II information, as well as SSA Title XVI and other SSA information are available to all states through the SVES external locate request. To find out more about SVES, please reference DCL 02-14 State Verification and Exchange System (SVES) Data or contact your State Technical Support liaison.

If you have any additional questions, please contact either Pat Driggers at (410) 966-5181 or pdriggers@acf.hhs.gov or Christine Jennings at (703) 345-8099 or cajennings@acf.hhs.gov.

Sincerely,

David H. Siegel
Acting Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement

Enclosure

cc: Regional Program Managers
ACF Regional Administrators