TCC-01-33, Quarterly Wage "Employer Address" Problem

Giving Hope and Support to America's Children

TCC-01-33

DATE: September 10, 2001

TO: ALL STATE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS CONTACTS

RE: Quarterly Wage "Employer Address" Problem

Dear Colleague:

For more than two years the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) has been working with States and the employer community to solve the problem of the "service provider address" on Quarterly Wage (QW) reports that States send to the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH). We are sending you the enclosed CD with 37,000 employer addresses as a possible short-term fix for the incorrect employer addresses. The data was compiled directly from Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims administration companies' files and has not been edited or validated by OCSE.

Background

Many employers use UI claims administrators (service providers) to handle their employees' unemployment insurance benefit claims. Typically, when an employer hires a UI claims administrator, that agent becomes the "employer of record" at the State Employment Security Agency (SESA) in order to receive UI claims information. The SESA then lists the address of the UI claims administrator on QW reports rather than the employer's "real" address that States need for child support purposes. When QW reports are transmitted to the NDNH, the wrong address (needed for child support purposes) is perpetuated. When a match is made, the response returned to a State lists the address of the UI claims administrator rather than that of the actual employer.

States have been receiving some NDNH matches (from QW reports) that have the noncustodial parent's employer's name and Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), but the address of a UI claims administrator such as Gates McDonald, Employers Unity, Jon Jay Associates, or Frick. This often delays or thwarts the ability of States to issue income-withholding orders or receive verification of employment. Moreover, when a State sends a request for child support information to a UI claims administrator, this misdirected mail presents a burden to the UI claims administrator. Even if the agent forwards the mail to the actual employer, there is a delay. Some UI claims administrators simply return the mail to the child support office, either because no employer is identified or because they lack the manpower to research each piece of misdirected mail.

The Solution

In an effort to solve the problem, OCSE contacted the major UI claims administrators to ask them whether they would provide a list of their employer clients with the employer addresses that child support offices need for sending income withholding orders. Each company indicated that they have a significant problem with misdirected mail, and each agreed to give OCSE a list of its employer clients with FEINs (if captured) and corporate addresses. OCSE consolidated the files on a CD, stripping any reference to the UI claims administrators in order to preserve the confidentiality of client information.

Using the Information: Pilot States' Experiences

The enclosed CD contains approximately 37,000 employer names, addresses and FEINs, organized by FEIN (or alphabetically if the FEIN is missing). The data has not been verified by OCSE.

This CD can be of assistance in locating out-of-state employers for the purpose of sending income withholding orders or requests for employment verification.

Questions or Comments?

We welcome your input as to the usefulness of this data. If you have any questions or comments about the CD, please contact Nancy Benner at (202) 401-5528 or nbenner@acf.hhs.gov.

Sincerely,

Donna J. Bonar
Associate Commissioner
For Office of Automation and Program Operations
Office of Child Support Enforcement

Enclosure

cc: State IV-D Directors (without enclosure)

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