DCL-05-29, United States Postal Service Child Support Payment Allocation

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-05-29

DATE: September 27, 2005

TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

RE: United States Postal Service Child Support Payment Allocation

Dear Colleague:

Effective with the November 4, 2005 pay date, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is automating its process for allocation of child support withholdings. The allocation among multiple orders for child support is pursuant to Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 581 and Title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, 303.100(a)(5) to ensure that each order receives some funds. The USPS will allocate payroll withholdings among an obligor’s multiple child support cases according to the method in the state that is the employee’s principal place of employment, or duty station.

The USPS has 800,000 employees with 43,000 child support orders, and is developing an automated system that will facilitate the change in the allocation method. The new method could impact current child support withholding payments from approximately 4,000 employees with more than one child support order. Some custodial parents may see a decrease in payment while others, who have received little or no support before, may see a substantial increase in the support paid.

OCSE and USPS wanted to inform you of this change as it may prompt an increase in calls to your agency as changes in payment amounts occur. Again, this change is scheduled to be effective for the pay period ending October 29, 2005, to be paid on November 4, 2005.

If you have any questions, please contact either Robyn Large at (240) 676-1437 or rlarge@acf.hhs.gov, or Amy Gober at (202) 260-5606 or agober@acf.hhs.gov.

Sincerely,

Margot Bean
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement

cc: Regional Program Managers
ACF Regional Administrators