Working with the Military as an Employer
A Quick Guide
Updated as of May 2008
[PDF - 226 KB]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
LOCATE SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION
SERVICE OF PROCESS
INCOME-WITHHOLDING ORDERS FOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL
OBTAINING MEDICAL SUPPORT FROM MILITARY PERSONNEL
QUESTIONS ABOUT PAYMENTS
DESK TOP QUICK GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
The Child Support Enforcement Program is a joint undertaking involving federal, state, and local cooperative efforts. As our nation's largest employer, the Federal government has an important role in the Child Support Enforcement Program. Within the Federal government, the Department of Defense (DoD) is the largest federal agency, with approximately
- 1.4 million active duty military personnel,
- 1.5 million reserved military personnel,
- 2.0 million retired military personnel, and
- 780,000 civilian employees working for DoD.
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) provides payroll for all military and DoD civilians and is responsible for implementation of child support orders. In addition, DFAS has taken over payroll responsibility for several other federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Energy. Currently, DFAS is remitting payments for approximately 200,000 child support garnishments per month.
Communication with the military has often been a challenging experience for State and county child support offices. In an effort to assist States in their interaction with the military, the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) has prepared this resource document. The purpose of this document is to provide policy and procedural guidance to child support staff working with the military in the following areas:
- Locating a non-custodial parent who is in the military
- Requesting verification of employment and pay
- Enforcing child support orders through income withholding
- Enforcing medical support orders using the National Medical Support Notice
- Identifying DFAS payments
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LOCATE SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION
The Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) is a principal source of locate and employment information for child support caseworkers when establishing a support order and when initiating an income-withholding order.
As mandated by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, the FPLS was expanded to include two new federal databases: the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) and the Federal Case Registry (FCR). States send information to the FCR for all child support cases, including those that have support orders and those for which orders have not yet been established. Persons registered on the FCR are compared daily against the NDNH, which contains employment information from new hire reports and quarterly wage records reported by states and federal agencies, as well as unemployment insurance
claimant data reported by state employment agencies. Therefore, if the military person you are looking for is a participant in a child support case and that case has been submitted to the FCR, you will receive information about that person.
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What the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) Sends to the NDNH
All newly hired (recruited) military personnel and civilian employees are reported within 20 days to the NDNH. In addition, DoD’s DMDC sends quarterly wage data to the NDNH. This includes information on the following:
- Active duty (including Coast Guard)
- Reserve (including Coast Guard)
- Civilian employees
- Military retired (quarterly wages only)
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Using the FPLS Match or "Hit" Data
Automatic matching occurs whenever new or updated information is entered into either the FCR or NDNH. NDNH-to-FCR and FCR-to-NDNH matches are immediately sent to the state child support enforcement (CSE) agencies. Upon receiving the FPLS match ("hit") information, CSE agencies are required to issue an income-withholding order within two days.
An FPLS match should be accepted as a verification of employment and wages. If you receive a match or "hit" on a military person, additional verification of employment is unnecessary. The next step is to submit the income-withholding order to DFAS Cleveland, OH to start withholding pay.
Send all income-withholding orders by mail or fax to:
DFAS Cleveland
DFAS-HGA/CL
P.O. Box 998002
Cleveland, OH 44199-8002
DFAS Fax Gateway: (877) 622-5930 or (216) 522-6960
Garnishment Customer Service Toll Free: (888) 332-7411
By automating the generation of income withholding orders, States can meet their two-day turnaround requirement. States that have automated this process have benefited from substantial increases in collections. (For sending income withholding orders electronically to DFAS, see section on e-IWO under Income Withholding Orders for Military and Civilian Personnel.)
Terminations of income withholding orders should also be sent to the DFAS Cleveland address above.
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FPLS External Locate Requests for Information on Active, Reserve, Retired Military and Retired Federal Government Civilian Employees
If you need a current address for military service personnel for service of process (e.g., in order to establish paternity), submit an FPLSexternal locate request (through your State child support office) to the DoD's DMDC. DMDC returns these requests on a monthlybasis. Include the military service person's name and Social Security number (SSN). FPLS will provide the following information to States:
| Population |
SSN Returned? |
Address Provided |
Annual Salary? |
| Active military |
Yes |
Unit/duty address |
Not provided |
| Reserve military |
Yes |
Unit/duty address |
Not provided |
| Retired military |
Yes |
Home address |
Yes |
| Retired civilian |
Yes |
Home address |
Yes |
Information on civilians currently working for DoD (i.e., not retired) is not available through the FPLS external locate. (For information regarding civilians working for DoD, see section on "Requests for Employment Verification of Civilians Working for DoD.")
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Sending a Request for Employment Verification or Payroll Data
DoD will not respond to verification of employment/payroll data requests about active and reserve military, and civilian payroll records because this information is already provided to the FPLS through quarterly wage reporting to the NDNH. However, there are two exceptions:
1. Requests for Historical Payroll Data of Military Personnel
DFAS will respond to individual, written Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for information regarding military personnel relating to pay history (records more than one year old). You may send a FOIA request on your agency’s letterhead stationery. DFAS will also respond to a request for a non-custodial parent’s Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), if a subpoena is submitted to DFAS. The subpoena must be signed by a State or Federal judge before it will be accepted for processing.
Send these requests to the DFAS pay site listed below, depending on the branch of service.
- The name and Social Security number of the military member must be included.
- A signature is not required, but the caseworker’s name or the name of a higher authority must appear on the request. DFAS will not accept computer-generated requests for pay histories. All computer-generated requests will be destroyed.
Army (Active Duty Army FEIN is 359990000 and Reserve Duty FEIN is 351819323)
DFAS Indianapolis
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/IN0.
8899 East 56th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46249-0865
Air Force (Active Duty FEIN is 849990000 and Reserve Duty FEIN is 849980000)
DFAS Indianapolis
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/IN0.
8899 East 56th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46249-0865
Navy (Active Duty FEIN is 349990000 and Reserve Duty FEIN is 349980000)
DFAS Cleveland
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/CL
1240 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44199-8006
Marine Corps (Active Duty and Reserve Duty FEIN is 539990000)
DFAS Cleveland
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/CL
1240 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44199-8006
Retired Military Pay (FEIN is 340727612)
DFAS Cleveland
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/CL
1240 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44199-8006
2. Requests for Historical Payroll Data of DoD Civilian Personnel
DFAS will respond to individual requests for information regarding DoD, DoE, EPA, HHS, BBG, and [soon] VA civilian personnel relating to pay history exceeding one year old.
| DoD civilian employees |
(FEIN 311575142) |
| DoE civilian employees |
(FEIN 530197006) |
| EPA civilian employees |
(FEIN 520852695) |
| HHS civilian employees |
(FEIN 530196960) |
| BBG civilian employees |
(FEIN 522260085) |
| VA civilian employees |
(FEIN 741612229) |
Send all DoD, DoE, EPA, HHS, and BBG civilian requests to:
DFAS Cleveland
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/CL
1240 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44199-8006
The name and Social Security number of the civilian employee must be provided. A signature is not required, but the caseworker's name or the name of a higher authority must appear on the request, or it will be returned to the child support agency. DFAS will not accept computer-generated requests for pay histories. All computer-generated requests will be destroyed.
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World Wide Locator Offices
The World Wide Locator Service is another way to locate military personnel. Address information may be obtained by writing to the World Wide Locator for the appropriate branch of service:
Army Active Duty
Army World Wide Locator
U.S. Army Enlisted Records & Evaluation Center (USAEREC)
8899 East 56th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46249-5301
Toll Free: (866) 771-6357
Army Reserve or Retired
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
1 Reserve Way
St. Louis, MO 63132-5200
Toll Free: (800) 318-5298, commercial (314) 592-0000
Navy Active Duty
Navy World Wide Locator
Navy Personnel Command
(PERS 312)
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055-3120
(901) 874-3388, Option 1 or other questions Option 4
The Navy does not release unit addresses over the telephone. Submit your request in writing or call the commercial number for further instructions.
Air Force Active Duty
HQ AFPC/DPDXIDL
5550 C. Street West, Suite 50
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4752
(210) 565-2660
Requests for information by state or federal agencies or law enforcement must be in writing and on official letterhead; see the following web site: http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/main_content.asp?src=srch
Normal duty hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT
Marine Corps
Headquarters, US Marine Corps
Personnel Management Support Branch (MMSB-17)
2008 Elliot Road, Room 201
Quantico, VA 22134-5030
(703) 784-3942
Requests for information by state or federal agencies or law enforcement must be in writing and on official letterhead; see the following web site:
http://www.usmc-mccs.org/contactus/helpcontactus.cfm?selection=SelectOne
Normal duty hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Coast Guard
US Coast Guard
Personnel Command (CGPC-adm-3)
2100 2nd Street, SW
Washington, DC 20593-0001
(202) 493-1697
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cgpc/Home/locator.html
Send an e-mail with the person's full name to cglocator@ballston.uscg.mil
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Requests for Employment Verification of Civilians Working for DoD
DoD provides the FPLS with new hire and quarterly wage information through DMDC for civilians working for DoD. This information is also available from The Work Number.
The Work Number
DoD has contracted for employment and wage verification for its civilian personnel with a third-party provider that maintains an online database called The Work Number. Basic employment and payroll data, including current year-to-date pay plus payroll history for the prior three years is available on The Work Number. DoD electronically updates information every pay period. In order to use the service, child support offices must first register by completing an application form. You may obtain an application form for this service online at www.theworknumber.com/socialservices or by phone at (800) 660-3399.
The Work Number offers both a free service and an enhanced paid service for employment and wage verification. If you register for the free service, your responses are sent by fax within five business days. If you register for the paid service, you receive your responses immediately online (if you have made your request via the Internet) or by fax within one hour (if you have called the 800 number). With the paid service, you may also search The Work Number database with a parent's Social Security number; you are not restricted to receiving information just from a known employer.
The Work Number's Employer Directory is available online, and updated regularly. Agencies may search by employer name or review an alphabetical list at:
http://www.theworknumber.com/govlist
The 2008 rate for the paid service is $6.20 per verification. Offices are only charged if they receive employment or wage information. TALX also offers volume discounts starting at $1,400/year for annual contract commitments.
The Work Number Client Service Center number is (800) 996-7566.
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Requests for Location/Medical Insurance Information on Civilians Working for DoD
DoD provides the FPLS with new hire and quarterly wage information through DMDC for civilians working for DoD. DoD information now includes a specific Human Resource (HR) address that services civilian employees. The HR address is Address 1 on the new hire and quarterly wage response record. DoD staff at the HR addresses can receive the National Medical Support Notice (NMSN), and they can provide locate (work site) information for the DoD civilian employees for service of process. States may receive several addresses associated with one FEIN though the number of local HR office addresses provided to States may diminish over time as HR offices are combined or centralized.
Civilians working for the Army now have the following HR address:
Army Benefits Center-Civilian
303 Marshall Avenue
Fort Riley, KS 66442-5004
The HR offices will not respond to requests for employment verification. The information on the new hire and quarterly wage reports (provided to the FPLS and sent to the states as proactive matches) is to be used for employment verification. Information provided by The Work Number can also be used as it is up-to-date.
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Information Included in the Quarterly Wage Report
The quarterly wage (QW) report provided to the NDNH by DMDC includes all income received by a military service person. The following chart lists all the income categories that could be included in a QW report.
| Military Status |
Supplemental Pay Type: |
| ACTIVE |
| |
Amount Of Accrued Leave Pay |
| |
Amount Of Contract Cancellation Pay And Allowances |
| |
Amount Of Separation Payment |
| |
Basic Allowance For Housing (BAH) |
| |
Basic Allowance For Subsistence |
| |
Career Sea Pay |
| |
Career Sea Pay Premium |
| |
Diving Duty Pay |
| |
Enlistment Bonus |
| |
Essential Service Pay |
| |
Family Separation Allowance Type I |
| |
Family Separation Allowance Type II |
| |
Foreign Duty Pay |
| |
Foreign Language Proficiency Pay |
| |
Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay I |
| |
Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay II |
| |
Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay III |
| |
Hostile Fire Pay |
| |
Nuclear Officer Accession Bonus |
| |
Overseas Extension Pay |
| |
Proficiency Pay |
| |
Regular Reenlistment Bonus |
| |
Rental Charge For Inadequate Government Quarters |
| |
Selective Reenlistment Bonus |
| ACTIVE: OFFICERS ONLY |
| |
Additional Special Pay |
| |
Aviation Career Incentive Pay |
| |
Aviation Officer Continuation Pay |
| |
Board Certified Pay |
| |
Incentive Special Pay |
| |
Miscellaneous Officer Pay |
| |
Medical Officer Retainer Bonus (MORB)/Nurse Bonus Amount |
| |
Nuclear Career Accession Bonus |
| |
Nuclear Career Annual Incentive Bonus |
| |
Nuclear Qualified Officer Continuation Pay |
| |
Saved Pay |
| |
Saved Pay For Health Professionals |
| |
Variable Special Pay |
| RESERVES |
| |
Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) Controller Pay |
| |
Aviation Career Incentive Pay |
| |
Basic Ad Pay |
| |
Career Sea Pay |
| |
Diving Duty Pay |
| |
Foreign Duty Pay |
| |
Foreign Language Proficiency Pay |
| |
Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay I |
| |
Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay II |
| |
Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay III |
| |
Hostile Fire Pay And /Or Imminent
Danger Pay |
| |
Monthly Basic Pay |
| |
Reserve Component Incentive Program
Education Payments |
| |
Reserve Component Incentive Program
Payments |
| |
Separation Pay |
| |
Special Pay For Reserve Medical Officers
Payments |
| CIVILIANS |
| |
Award Amount I, II & III |
| |
Final Compensatory Time Paid |
| |
Locality Payment |
| |
Lump Sum Leave Pay |
| |
Manual Pay Adjustments Amount |
| |
Overtime Paid |
| |
Severance Pay Amount |
| |
Voluntary Separation Incentive |
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Retired Military QW Reports
QW reports on retired military (persons who were formerly active duty) and retired Coast Guard members are now provided to the FPLS. These records are coded "P" (for pension).
Base Pay
If you need the base pay of military or civilian personnel to establish a child support order, pay rates (basic military pay, military housing allowance (BAH), and civilian pay) may be found on the following web sites:
http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/militarypaytables/2008MilitaryPayChars.pdf (This web site has the military pay tables for 2008.)
http://www.opm.gov/oca/08tables/index.asp (This web site has the civilian pay tables for 2008.)
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SERVICE OF PROCESS
Service of process refers to the delivery of a document to an individual (non-custodial parent) to notify him/her of a claim or to inform him/her of specific acts that he/she must perform (for example, appearing at a paternity hearing for child support). Although military personnel may live on an installation, most live in the neighboring communities and one may serve legal documents on them just as one would a civilian. There are several methods for service of process, including regular and certified mail, voluntary acceptance of service, sheriff’s service, and personal service by a civilian authority or process server. Under most state laws, establishment of a child support obligation requires voluntary acceptance of service or personal service by an authorized official.
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Serving Military Personnel on an Installation
Military installations may be open or closed and increasingly they are closed. If an enforcement action requires personal service, service may be more difficult. Call the installation’s legal office to learn the type of jurisdiction it follows regarding state access:
- Exclusive federal jurisdiction with no state provision for service of process
- Partial jurisdiction, or
- Concurrent and proprietary jurisdiction.
Use the contacts below to ask about the service of process procedure for the appropriate branch. Neither the commander nor the base attorneys can assist you in actually serving the non-custodial parent (NCP)/military member, but they can tell you what you need to do to effect service on their base. If you obtain the address of the NCP/military member but still cannot serve him/her, contact the commander, tell him/her what you have attempted to date, identify the obstacle, and ask the commander to meet with the member to ask if he/she will cooperate with your service attempts. The commander will meet with the NCP/military member and provide you with an update on the outcome of that meeting.
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Contacts for Service of Process
Following are contacts for facilitating service of legal process and enforcing support obligations:
Air Force
AFLSA/JACA
1420 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330-1420
(703) 697-0413
Army
Office of the Judge Advocate General
Attention: DAJA-LA
2200 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310
(703) 588-6708
Coast Guard
Commanding Officer (LGL)
U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Service Center
Federal Building
444 SE Quincy Street
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
Phone (785) 339-3592 or 3595 (for questions)
Fax (785) 339-3788 (for employment verification and pay requests)
Marine Corps
Legal Assistance
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps (JAL)
2 Navy Annex
Washington, DC 20380
(703) 614-3880
Navy
Office of the Judge Advocate General (Code 16), Suite 3000
Washington Navy Yard
1322 Patterson Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20374-5066
(202) 685-4637
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INCOME-WITHHOLDING ORDERS FOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL
Where to Send Income-Withholding Orders for Military and Civilian Personnel
Income-withholding orders for military personnel (active, reserve, retired) and civilian personnel working for DoD or other Federal agencies serviced by DFAS should be sent to the DFAS office in Cleveland, Ohio:
DFAS Cleveland
DFAS-HGA/CL
P.O. Box 998002
Cleveland, OH 44199-8002
Instead of mailing the income withholding order, you may fax it to:
DFAS Fax Gateway, toll-free: (877) 622-5930
DFAS Fax Gateway: (216) 522-6960
Supporting documents may be included and will be imaged and available for viewing by the paralegals. Fax each order individually. You may use the fax line for sending income withholding orders for employees of civilian agencies who are paid by DFAS, such as the Department of Energy or the Environmental Protection Agency. A faxed income withholding order will receive the same consideration as the same document sent by mail or electronically submitted through the e-IWO (Kids 1st). The fax line is only to be used for sending income withholding orders and accompanying documents. Please do not send the National Medical Support Notice, underlying court orders, or requests for verifications of employment.
The DFAS Income Withholding toll-free Customer Service Number is (888) 332-7411.
The DFAS web site for income withholding information is
http://www.dfas.mil/garnishment.html.
The web site includes a Fact Sheet and Questions and Answers fact sheet on how to obtain payroll information on DoD military and civilian employees.
Coast Guard
The Coast Guard is now part of the Department of Homeland Security. Income-withholding orders for Coast Guard personnel should be sent to the following address:
Commanding Officer (LGL)
U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Service Center
Federal Building
444 SE Quincy Street
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
Phone (785) 339-3592 or 3595 (for questions)
Fax (785) 339-3788 (for employment verification and pay requests)
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Attaching the Income of Retired Military Service Personnel
An income-withholding order to attach the pension of a retired military member should be sent to:
DFAS Cleveland
DFAS-HGA/CL
P.O. Box 998002
Cleveland, OH 44199-8002
(888) 332-7411 for customer service, all branches (toll-free)
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Attaching the Income of Retired Federal Civilian Employees
An income-withholding order to attach the pension of a retired civilian employee of the Federal government should be sent to:
Office of Personnel Management
Court Ordered Benefits Branch
P.O. Box 17
Washington, DC 20044-0017
Phone (202) 606-0222
Fax (202) 606-7958
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Garnishments vs. Voluntary and Involuntary Allotments
A garnishment for child support means there is a judicial/administrative income-withholding order in place (mandated in 1990 for IV-D cases and in 1994 for all child support orders). (42 U.S.C. 659).
Voluntary allotments are available to military service personnel to pay recurring debts. Voluntary allotments for child support were used prior to the federal legislation requiring mandatory income withholding for child support. Many are still active. A voluntary allotment is completely under the member's control and can be started, stopped, or amended at will by the military person.
An involuntary allotment (pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 665) is an income-withholding action enforceable against active duty military pay. Involuntary allotments have advantages compared to garnishment actions when the maximum amount payable from the disposable income does not allow full payment. This is due to the fact that military allowances, such as the basic allowance for housing (BAH), are included in the disposable pay calculations for involuntary allotment. An involuntary allotment begins with a court or administrative order establishing a child support obligation and an arrearage in an amount equal to or greater than two months support under the order. Regulations require that when using the involuntary allotment, the child support office must send a copy of the underlying court order. See 32 C.F.R. Part 54 for detailed instructions.
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Voluntary Allotment Inquiries
Air Force Voluntary Allotments-Denver
(800) 433-0461, option 1 or (303) 676-7213
Army Voluntary Allotments-Indianapolis
(317) 510-0585 or (877) 338-3327 (toll-free)
Marines Voluntary Allotments-Cleveland
(216) 522-5542/5127 or (888) 332-7411
Navy Voluntary Allotments-Cleveland
(216) 522-5542/5127 or (888) 332-7411
Retired-All Branches-Cleveland
(216) 204-5127 or (800) 321-1080
Coast Guard
(785) 339-3495
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When a Federal Employee/Reservist is Called to Active Duty
If a reservist is called to active duty, DoD does not submit a new hire report for this person. If a civilian employee, who is in the reserves and working for the military, is called to active duty and DFAS already has an income withholding order on file, DFAS will roll over the withholding to the employee's military pay. If the employee works for another Federal agency or a private company, the State should issue an income withholding order to DFAS. (When a reservist with a child support order is called to active duty, the employer might not notify the child support office, and thus the income withholding order would not be satisfied.) The FPLS (NDNH) quarterly wage report will show any change in the reservist/employee's employer.
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What Happens to the Income-Withholding Order When the Military Member Retires?
When a military member with an income withholding order for child support retires, the order does not automatically attach to the retirement pay (pension) of that member. However, DFAS is building an electronic interface that eventually will allow the active duty pay system to alert the garnishment operation that the child support order should be attached to the retirement pay of the military member who is retiring. Until that interface is in place, the child support office should contact DFAS as to why the child support payment has stopped. This will alert DFAS Garnishments to send the withholding order to be processed against the member's retirement pay.
Multiple QW reports for one NCP in the military could be received by a CSE agency because a person could be both a DoD civil service employee and a reservist. In fact, there are many people working for DoD in both capacities. When the CSE agency receives the first QW match, it should send the income withholding order to DFAS Cleveland for garnishment. Garnishments will be applied to all pay available at that time.
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e-IWO
DFAS is a major partner in OCSE's electronic income withholding order (e-IWO) project, which allows States to send IWOs electronically to DFAS and other employers. DFAS began the e-IWO concept several years ago with its Kids 1st electronic submission system. It is now transitioning States to the e-IWO portal. For more details or to participate in the project, contact Bill Stuart at william.k.stuart@lmco.com, (518) 399-9241; Sherri Grigsby at sherri.grigsby@acf.hhs.gov, (202) 401-5437; or Megan Huber at megan.huber@dfas.mil, (216) 204-3375.
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OBTAINING MEDICAL SUPPORT FROM MILITARY PERSONNEL
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)
DEERS is the Defense Enrollment and Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). It maintains the information on the military service person, known as the “sponsor” and dependents entitled to TRICARE medical benefits. DEERS is the database used to confirm eligibility for health care benefits through the military.
TRICARE Standard
The standard health care benefit is referred to as TRICARE Standard. It is not an insurance program. It is an entitlement. No premiums are charged for enrollment, and no additional enrollment by the military member (sponsor) is required; however, there is a deductible and cost share associated with this entitlement.
TRICARE Prime
In addition, in most areas of the country, the military member (sponsor) also has the option of enrolling some or all family members into a program referred to as TRICARE Prime. An actual enrollment form must be completed (with the sponsor's signature) and submitted to the TRICARE Enrollment Office. Under certain circumstances, the CP may enroll the child in TRICARE Prime. In some cases, there are premium payments required depending on the military member's status (i.e., quarterly premiums for family members of retirees). This program is similar to a civilian health maintenance operation (HMO) policy. There is no deductible, but there is a co-payment required for some services. Specific information about these alternative coverage options may be found at www.tricare.osd.mil.
The process for obtaining medical support from a military parent is described below. The process is applicable to active duty or retired military. Reservists are not eligible for TRICARE.
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How to Enroll
Before any enrollment can occur, the child must be determined to be a military dependent in order to be enrolled in DEERS. (See the next section on how to determine eligibility.) The documents needed to establish dependency include a court-ordered or State-authorized (in-hospital voluntary acknowledgement) paternity determination if the child's parents were not married) and a birth certificate. The court order only has to establish paternity; it does not have to order child or medical support.
However, an order for medical support and evidence of medical coverage are required for a State CSE agency to count the case on the OCSE 157 Report.
Each branch of the service may have slightly different procedures. The CP must go to the nearest RAPIDS ID Card Issuing Activity and present the appropriate documents to the verifying officer. (RAPIDS is the Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification Card System and refers to the application process through which individuals receive ID cards.)
Location of the nearest RAPIDS ID Card Issuing Activity may be found via the Internet at http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/owa/home. If Internet access is not available, the CP may contact the DMDC Support Office telephone center help line Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (ET) at (800) 538-9552.
A CP wishing to enroll by mail should contact any military installation with a RAPIDS ID Card Issuing Activity for further assistance. Documentation to prove dependency must be provided. One requirement for enrollment is the Social Security number (SSN) of the NCP/military member. If the CP does not know the NCP's SSN, the child support caseworker could obtain the NCP's SSN and complete all the required paperwork to initiate the enrollment. The caseworker would fax or mail the paperwork to the appropriate RAPIDS ID Card Issuing Activity. The CP will need to take the child to the ID Card Issuing Activity to obtain a military ID card for the child. All the paperwork must be completed and approved prior to the CP's appearance at the ID Card Issuing Activity. This is an example of a procedure that the local child support office would need to work out with their corresponding ID Card Issuing Activity.
Before the DEERS enrollment can be completed, an attempt will be made to have the sponsor sign the paperwork. The amount of time for this process will vary depending on the location and the assignment of the military member. If the sponsor is unwilling to sign, the verifying official may sign on behalf of the sponsor after all efforts to obtain the sponsor's signature have failed and those efforts have been documented. The sponsor may not decline coverage of his/her child.
Once enrolled in DEERS, the child is eligible to receive medical care in two ways. The child may be able to obtain medical care and medications from military hospitals and clinics. The child may also use the cost share medical coverage, TRICARE, with civilian health providers. Getting health care from a uniformed service hospital or clinic, when available, saves money and paperwork. Military bases have Beneficiary Counseling Assistance Coordinators to assist CP with questions about medical coverage.
TRICARE uses the term "shared" rather than "covered" because the cost is shared by the beneficiary after an annual deductible cost has been satisfied. Claims to TRICARE may be submitted up to a year after treatment. Commencement of military medical benefits is determined by either the child's date of birth or the date(s) of the sponsor's military service, not the DEERS enrollment date.
A TRICARE handbook explaining coverage is available by writing or calling:
TRICARE Management Activity (TMA)
Public Affairs Branch
Aurora, CO 80045-6900
(303) 361-1000/1129
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How to Learn Whether a Dependent Has Already Been Enrolled in or is Entitled to TRICARE Benefits in DEERS
A legal dependent (one for whom paternity has been established) of a military person (active or retired) is eligible for TRICARE medical services through the DoD. The recently implemented electronic match between the FCR and the DMDC enables child support workers to learn whether a dependent is eligible for TRICARE and already enrolled in DEERS. DMDC matches the FCR participants against its records to determine whether a child is eligible for military medical benefits. DMDC reports the results to the FCR, and the FCR transmits the match information to the States every quarter.
Once an active duty or retired military member and eligible family members have been enrolled in DEERS, they have medical benefits. These medical benefits do not include dental care. (TRICARE dental coverage is available at an additional cost to the service member. TRICARE vision care varies according to beneficiary status and TRICARE program option.) The NMSN does not result in the automatic enrollment of the child in DEERS. The CP must follow the procedures in the previous section for enrollment if the child is shown as eligible but not already enrolled in DEERS.
A CP (not a child support worker) may confirm eligibility for a child by calling the DMDC Support Office (DSO) telephone center help line at (800) 538-9552. If the CP is divorced from the military personnel (sponsor) but has a prior DEERS record and can establish that he/she is the child's parent, DEERS can provide eligibility information. If the CP was never married to the sponsor or was never enrolled in DEERS, he/she would first need to provide proof that the CP is actually the parent of the child in question. Acceptable documentation would include a birth certificate for the child naming the parent, custody papers, etc. Documents would have to be sent to DSO to be reviewed and the tracking system updated before DSO could release specific information to the CP.
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No Need to Send the National Medical Support (NMSN) Notice for Active Duty and Retired Military
It is not appropriate to send the NMSN to DoD for active duty military personnel or retired military as the military health care coverage, TRICARE, is an entitlement to military personnel and their dependents. Because TRICARE is an entitlement and not health insurance, DMDC cannot comply with the NMSN to enroll dependents. If the child's status in DEERS/TRICARE can be determined, this eliminates any need for IV-D agencies to send the NMSN to DMDC for a dependent of military personnel.
Child support enforcement agencies can determine whether a child is eligible to be enrolled in DEERS/TRICARE by the following means:
- By the appearance of an appropriate DoD Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) on the new hire report or the QW report for either the NCP or the CP indicating that either parent is active duty military or retired military, or
- Through the DMDC/FCR match.
Department of Defense FEINs:
| • Army: |
Active Duty FEIN is 359990000 |
| • Navy: |
Active Duty FEIN is 349990000 |
| • Marine Corps: |
Active Duty FEIN is 539990000 |
| • Air Force: |
Active Duty FEIN is 849990000 |
| • Coast Guard: |
Active Duty FEIN is 529980000 |
| • NOAA: |
Active Duty FEIN is 520821608 |
| • Retired Military Pay: |
Retired FEIN is 340727612 |
If a child is determined to be eligible for enrollment, as indicated by the DMDC/FCR match or by the FEIN from the new hire report or the quarterly wage report, the CSE agency should instruct the CP to contact the local RAPIDS ID Card Issuing Activity with the proper documentation to initiate the dependent's enrollment in DEERS/TRICARE. The CSE agency should indicate in the individual case record where it obtained the child's medical enrollment status and make appropriate case updates from the next quarterly DMDC/FCR match.
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Sending the National Medical Support Notice to DoD Civilian Personnel
The policy explained above does not apply to DoDcivilian personnel. For civilian employees, child support agencies must continue to send the NMSN to the DoD human resource office provided in the new hire and QW response. The address for the appropriate HR office is included as part of the new hire and QW response that is sent as an FPLS match.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT PAYMENTS
How to Understand the Military Leave and Earning Statement (LES)
To obtain information on how to read a Military LES go to the following web site:
http://www.defenselink.mil/dfas/militarypay/newinformation/Active_Duty_LES_Guide.pdf.
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Redirecting Payments to Your State Disbursement Unit (SDU)
DFAS handles all payroll for the military. DFAS-HGA/CL is responsible for redirecting any child support payment (and spousal support if appropriate) to your SDU. This office can assist you in redirecting both garnishments (income withholding orders) and voluntary allotments for all the armed services, including payments to retirees. The point of contact for payments is:
Loretta Longo
Financial Systems Specialist, DFAS
(216) 204-1612
Fax (216) 522-5471
loretta.longo@dfas.mil
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Payments from Military Personnel
For questions relating to payments issued from the:
Army active duty or reserve pay center, call (317) 510-3286 or 3284 for individual checks issued by Military Pay. If you need a duplicate copy of a listing for posting blanket checks or Electronic Fund Transfers (EFTs) issued by Centralized Disbursing, call (317) 510-0585.
Air Force active duty or reserve pay center, call (800) 433-0461, option 1(toll-free) or commercial (303) 676-7213. If you need a duplicate copy of the listing for posting that is sent with blanket checks or EFT payments fax your request on your agency letterhead to (303) 676-6486.
Marine Corps active duty or reserve pay center, call (816) 926-7050 or 7002 for information on individual checks, blanket checks, or EFT payments, and to obtain a duplicate copy of the listing for posting of the payments.
Navy active duty or reserve pay center, call (888) 332-7411 (toll-free) or to obtain a duplicate copy of a listing for posting a blanket check or EFT payments, contact the Centralized Disbursing Office at (800) 390-2347.
(Please do not use these numbers for inquires relating to the income withholding order or its processing.)
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Payments from Civilian Employees
Problems with Payments from Civilian Employees Paid by DFAS
For questions relating to child support payments issued from DFAS, inquiries about the income withholding order or its processing on behalf of a civilian employee of the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DoE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), or [soon] Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), please call the Cleveland Customer Help Desk: (888) 332-7411 (toll free).
Missing Payments
If you have a question about a missing child support payment remitted by DFAS on behalf of a civilian employee of DoD, DoE, EPA, HHS, BBG, or [soon] VA, please call the Cleveland Disbursing Help Desk: (800) 390-2347. 8:00 am – 4:30 pm EST.
(Please do not use this number for inquiries about the income withholding order or its processing.)
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OCSE Military Liaison
The OCSE military liaison officer is Larry Holtz, whose duties include working with the DoD on child support related statutes and regulations, providing guidance to child support agencies on military matters, and resolving issues between DoD and CSE agencies. You may contact him at:
Larry Holtz
Court and Military Liaison Officer
Office of Child Support Enforcement, 4th floor
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW
Washington, DC 20447
(202) 401-5376; Fax (202) 205-4342
lholtz@acf.hhs.gov
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DESKTOP QUICK GUIDE
Sending Income Withholding Orders
Send income withholding orders for active, reserve, and retired military personnel and DoD, DoE, EPA, and HHS active civilian personnel to:
DFAS Cleveland Center
DFAS-HGA/CL
P.O. Box 998002
Cleveland, OH 44199-8002
(888) 332-7411 for customer service (toll-free)
Send terminations of income-withholding orders to the DFAS Cleveland address above.
Send income withholding orders for Coast Guard personnel to:
Commanding Officer (LGL)
U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Service Center
Federal Building
444 SE Quincy Street
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
Phone (785) 339-3595 (for questions)
Fax (785) 339-3788 (for employment verification and pay requests)
Send an income withholding order to attach the pension of a retired civilian employee of the Federal Government to:
Office of Personnel Management
Court Ordered Benefits Branch
P.O. Box 17
Washington, DC 20044-0017
Phone (202) 606-0222
Fax (202) 606-7958
If you need a current address for a military service member for service of process, submit an FPLS external locate request to DMDC. These requests are returned by DMDC on a monthly basis.
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Requests for Historical Payroll Data of Military Personnel
DFAS will respond to individual written requests for information regarding military personnel relating to pay history exceeding one year old.
Army (Active Duty FEIN is 359990000 and Reserve Duty FEIN is 351819323)
DFAS Indianapolis
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/IN0.
8899 East 56th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46249-0865
Air Force (Active Duty FEIN is 849990000 and Reserve Duty FEIN is 849980000)
DFAS Indianapolis
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/IN0.
8899 East 56th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46249-0865
Navy (Active Duty FEIN is 349990000 and Reserve Duty FEIN is 349980000)
DFAS Cleveland
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/CL
1240 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44199-8006
Marine Corps (Active Duty and Reserve Duty FEIN is 539990000)
DFAS Cleveland
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/CL
1240 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44199-8006
Retired Military Pay (FEIN is 340727612)
DFAS Cleveland
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/CL
1240 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44199-8006
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Requests for Historical Payroll Data of Civilian Personnel
DFAS will respond to individual requests for information regarding DoD, DoE, EPA, HHS, BBG, and [soon] VA civilian personnel relating to pay history exceeding one year old.
| DoD civilian employees |
(FEIN 311575142) |
| DoE civilian employees |
(FEIN 530197006) |
| EPA civilian employees |
(FEIN 520852695) |
| HHS civilian employees |
(FEIN 530196960) |
| BBG civilian employees |
(FEIN 522260085) |
| VA civilian employees |
(FEIN 741612229) |
Send all DoD, DoE, EPA, HHS, and BBG civilian requests to:
DFAS Cleveland
ATTN: DFAS-HAC/CL
1240 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44199-8006
The name and Social Security number of the civilian employee must be provided. A signature is not required, but the caseworker's name or the name of a higher authority must appear on the request, or it will be returned to the child support agency. DFAS will not accept computer-generated requests for pay histories. All computer-generated requests will be destroyed.
