Sending Child Support Correspondence to Wal-Mart

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM

IM-04-02

DATE: May 6, 2004

TO:STATE AND TRIBAL AGENCIES ADMINISTERING CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT PLANS UNDER TITLE IV-D OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT AND OTHER INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS

SUBJECT: Sending Child Support Correspondence to Wal-Mart

BACKGROUND: Several states have expressed concern about delays in implementation of income-withholding orders by Wal-Mart as well as Wal-Mart’s failure to respond to requests for employment verification. In response to those concerns, Wal-Mart officials have provided us with the following information regarding where they would like to receive correspondence from child support enforcement (CSE) agencies:

Income-withholding Orders

Income-withholding orders (and those with medical support ordered) should be sent to:

Wal-Mart
P.O. Box 82
Bentonville, AR 72712-0082

Medical Support Orders:

Stand-alone medical support orders (those without accompanying income-withholding orders) should be sent to:

CMI
922 West Walnut Street
Rogers, AR 72756-3540

Requests for Employment Verification

The Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) receives new hire, quarterly wage, and unemployment insurance claimant information from Wal-Mart regularly. OCSE recommends that state child support enforcement agencies rely on the FPLS as their primary source for a noncustodial parent’s employment information rather than sending a request for this information to the employer.

However, when employment verification must be sent in order for case processing to continue, send correspondence to Wal-Mart’s agent, TALX. Wal-Mart has contracted for employment and wage verification for its employees with a third-party provider, TALX Corporation, Inc. TALX maintains an online database called The Work Number, which has basic employment information, address, and payroll data, including current year-to-date pay plus payroll history for the prior three years. Wal-Mart electronically updates information to TALX Corp. 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 http://www.theworknumber.com/socialservices, or by phone at (800) 660-3399.

For employment verification questions, contact the Work Number Client Service Center at (800) 996-7566.

For questions regarding income-withholding orders, contact Wal-Mart Stores Payroll Department at (479) 273-4323

INQUIRIES: Please direct inquiries to Nancy Benner at (202) 401-5528 or nbenner@acf.hhs.gov

Sherri Z. Heller, Ed.D.
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement

cc: IV-D Directors
Regional Program Manager
ACF Regional Administrators