Re-directing Military Payments to the State Disbursement Unit

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-00-15

DATE: FEB 7, 2000

TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

RE: Re-directing Military Payments to the State Disbursement Unit

Dear Colleague:

This letter is to notify you of a recent agreement between the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) and the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) designed to assist States in re-directing military payments to the State Disbursement Units (SDUs) more efficiently.

In the military, a garnishment for child support means there is a judicial or administrative income withholding order. A voluntary allotment is a method available to military service personnel for paying debts. Voluntary allotments for child support were used prior to the federal legislation requiring mandatory income withholding whenever a child support order is issued.

In the past, each State was required to contact the payroll center for each branch of service to re-direct child support payments. Under this new agreement, DFAS has provided a single point-of-contact and a back-up contact to assist you in re-directing child support payments (both garnishments and voluntary allotments for all branches of service, including payments to retirees) to your SDU.

The DFAS point-of-contacts for the re-direction of both garnishments and voluntary allotment payments are:

Andrea Bendlock
Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS)
(216) 522-5435, ex. 3006
andrea.bendlock@dfas.mil

or

Kathleen Golden
DFAS
(216) 522-5435, ex. 3002
kathleen.golden@dfas.mil

In addition to working with the military, OCSE is collaborating with federal civilian payroll agencies to identify a similar process that will enhance States ability to re-direct federal agency income withholding payments. We will also be discussing their use of Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)/Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for income withholding.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation as we work to improve the lives of our nation's children.

Sincerely,

David Gray Ross
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement

cc:
Regional Program Managers
ACF Regional Administrators
SDU contacts