HARRISBURG – Public Welfare Secretary Estelle B. Richman today announced new, cost-effective methods for collecting child support payments that will benefit clients, employers, taxpayers, and – most importantly – the children for whom the support is intended.
“Many parents depend on timely support payments to provide for the basic needs of their children,” said Richman. “Our new electronic payment collection system is another way we are ensuring those needs will be met, while also saving taxpayers an estimated $2 million in reduced collection and processing costs.”
The new method of electronic collection will improve customer service for clients as well as eliminate the cost of printing and processing paper checks and postage for employers. Payments will be collected electronically by employers and then must be electronically submitted to the state collection and disbursement unit.
By using an electronic collection system, the department will be able to reduce delays in payments to custodial parents due to lost or misdirected mail, data entry errors, missing signature or dates, out-of-balance bank drafts or theft.
For more information on Pennsylvania’s child support enforcement efforts, visit www.childsupport.state.pa.us.
