Frequently Asked Questions about Income Withholding
Q.What information should I include on the remittance documentation to assure the payment is posted properly?
A. It is best to include all of the following: Obligor name, ssn, SETS case #, order #
Q.What if the information on the monthly billing statement doesn't match my employee records?
A. You should contact the county holding the order regarding billing statement questions under the following circumstances:
- Employee name, SSN, case / order number does not match;
- Employee listed on the billing statement is no longer employed;
- Employee is missing from billing statement;
- Employer name or address is incorrect.
Q.What if I have already requested changes be made to the billing statements and those changes are not yet reflected?
A. Please be patient. The state is working to correct and update all employee employer information.
Q.Why do I need to list the SETS case number, isn't the employee name and social security number sufficient?
A. Only if there is a match to one case. An employee with multiple cases will cause the payment to become an exception and it will need to be sent to research for resolution and proper posting. This may cause unnecessary delays in getting the money out to the household.
Q.What do I do if an employee asks me to withhold child support?
A. If your employee presents a court order that directs payment through the Department of Child Support, then it is acceptable to initiate withholding at the employees request and follow the terms of the order. It will be necessary to obtain the SETS case number to include with your payments. If the employee does not have an order, send him/her to DCSE to establish one.
Q.How long after I receive the notice do I begin withholding?
A. Withholding must begin no later than the first pay period that occurs after 14 working days following the date the notice was mailed to the employer.
Q.When do I send in the withheld payments?
A. You should forward the withheld payment immediately but not later than 7 working days after the payment was withheld from your employee.
Q.What do I do if my employee quits, is fired, or laid off?
A. You should contact the County Department of Child Support which issued the wage withholding with the name of the employee, SETS case number, date of separation from employment, last known address and the name and address of the employee's new employer. You must continue to withhold wages through the employee's final paycheck.
Q.How do I indicate a lump sum payment?
A. A lump sum payment is any kind of annual awards payment, such as a performance bonus. If you have an employee that is due a lump sum payment of $150.00 or more you will need to:
Notify the county DCSE 45 days prior to paying out the employee's lump sum payment.
If the payment is eligible for withholding, the county DCSE will send you an order instructing you on the payment.
When remitting a lump sum, clearly indicate Lump Sum on the remittance documentation, regardless of whether you use the billing statements to remit. It is important to differentiate the lump sum payment from a regular withholding.
Frequently Asked Questions about Medical Support
Q.My employee tells me he/she can't afford to pay the premium.
A. Your employee is bound by the court order to provide medical insurance if it is available through employment. The employee does have due process rights allowing him/her to contest the medical support order, but until that order is modified, you must enroll the children and deduct the premiums.
Q.My employee told me he/she no longer has to provide health insurance for the child(ren) because the other parent can get it at a lower cost. May I stop deducting premiums from my employee's wages?
A. No. you must continue to deduct premiums until you receive documentation from the court or the department of child support enforcement advising you of changes in the medical support order.
Frequently Asked Questions about New Hire Reporting
Q.How do employers benefit from New Hire reporting?
A. A direct result of the New Hire reporting will be the reduction and prevention of fraudulent workers' compensation and unemployment insurance payments. Timely receipt of the new hire data allows Ohio to cross match this data against its active unemployment claimant files and either stop payments or recover erroneous payments. States already utilizing new hire data have reported unemployment benefit savings in the millions of dollars. With 100% of employers reporting, every state should show significant savings in the future.
Q.Do I have to report a new employee as a new hire if the employee worked for me in the past?
A. Yes. You must report all new hires, including rehires.
Q.Will I be penalized if I fail to report New Hires?
A. Yes. Under Ohio law, the penalty imposed on employers is $25.00 per newly hired employee the employer fails to report. If there is a conspiracy between the employer and the employee not to report, the penalty in Ohio is $500.00 per newly hired employee the employer fails to report.
Please feel free to contact us with your question, send email to: clermontsupportskids@co.clermont.oh.us