Collected Unpaid Child Support

There is nothing more discouraging than doing the right thing
and not getting credit for it. How many non-custodial parents
are paying child support only to have it lost by a disbursement
center that is under staffed and technologically inapt? 

There is over $100 Billion in accumulated unpaid support owed to
18 million children in the United States, according to The
Federal Office of Child Support in the Preliminary Statistics
for 2003. Most states cannot explain the existence of the
“undistributed funds” nor do they know to whom the money
rightfully belongs. The “undistributed funds” are created when
non-custodial parents decide to make a check out to a child
support agency or the custodial parent and avoid putting a
docket number or case number on the check. It is honorable to
pay child support. It is foolish to think that a check or money
order made out incorrectly will get to the intended custodial
parent and child.

If you pay child support and you think the state disbursement
agency has not forwarded the support funds to the custodial
parent, there are a few things you can do:

1. Request an audit of your child support case. You want to know
where each and every penny has gone. 2. Keep a record of your
child support payments whether there is a wage assignment and
the funds are automatically taken from your earnings or you pay
the custodial parent directly, document everything and keep all
earning statements that detail the deduction. 

3. Never write a check to a child support agency or the
disbursement agency, the money will not get to the intended
party.

4. If the custodial parent says “I’m not getting my child
support payments”, and you know you are paying support, they may
be right. Check it out. Once or twice a year the names of those
who may be owed undistributed funds are recorded in local legal
newspapers, or posted on the state web site under unclaimed
property. 5. Custodial and Non-custodial parents must notify the
child support agency and disbursement agency when there is a
change of address. If you don’t inform them your support may be
held by the state and not disbursed. 

Over $100 Billion in accumulated unpaid support should raise a
few eyebrows. It means there are child support payments out
there that are not getting to the children who need it the most
and the government is not doing enough to address this issue.
The next time someone suggest that a dad or mom stopped paying
child support, investigate. Just because you did not get your
child support money does not mean it was not collected.