Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to DSHS Economic Services Administration's Frequently Asked Questions!

How can I authorize DCS to release information on my DCS case to a third party?

If you want to authorize another person or representative to receive records from your child support case, you may print a copy of the Authorization to Disclose Information (DSHS 17-063), fill it out, and send it to your DCS field office. If you want the other person or representative to only be able to discuss your case with DCS (and not ask for copies of records), you may print the Consent (DSHS 14-012), fill it out. And send it to your DCS field office.

How can I find out if a payment was paid on my DCS case?

  1. On-Line -- Now you can see the most recent payment history for your child support case online! And, you can choose to receive e-mail notification when a payment is posted or a payment is due. Register here!
    Already registered? Click on DCS Online and login to see your case payments and choose e-mail notification.

  2. By Phone -- Using your DCS case number and your Social Security number, call 1-800-442-KIDS. You can find out:

    • How much DCS received.
    • When DCS received the payment.
    • Your account balance.
    • Bypass reception and transfer directly to your SEO's phone.
    • Listen to a message left for you.
    • Listen to most frequently asked questions.

Access is available most anytime of the day or night. (DCS conducts system maintenance work between Friday 6pm-3am Saturday. KIDS Line access is not available at that time.)

Learn more about the KIDS automated phone system.

 

How can I get my child's address for visitation purposes?

The Division of Child Support (DCS) may give you the last-known home address of your dependent children or the home or work address of the other party to your child support case if you meet the following conditions:

  1. You must give us a written statement telling us why you want the address. The reason must be to enforce custody, visitation, parenting time, or contact rights, or to establish, enforce, or modify your child support order.

  2. If your reason for wanting the address is to enforce custody, visitation, parenting time, or contact rights, and you have not already done so, you must give us a certified copy of the court order that grants you the rights.

    1. The court order must name your children.

    2. You must give us a statement that a court has not changed your order to deny custody, or restrict your visitation, parenting time, or contact rights.

  3. You or your attorney must return an Address Disclosure Request to our field office listed below.

    1. You must appear at our field office listed below and show us suitable identification. If your attorney sends us the request, you do not have to appear.

    2. If you live outside Washington State or submit the request by mail, you must have the form notarized. If your attorney sends us the form, your attorney does not have to get the form notarized.

Before we give you the address, we will tell the other party to your child support case about your request. The other party has 30 days to:

  • Get a court order that stops us from giving you the address.
  • Get a court order that limits your right to visit or contact the other party or your children.
  • Request an adjudicative proceeding (hearing) to contest release of the address.

If the other party to your child support case does not ask for a hearing, we will answer your request within 45 days.

We will tell you if the other party asks for a hearing. You may attend and take part in the hearing. If we have reason to believe that release of the address will result in physical or emotional harm to the other party to your child support order or your children, we will not give you the address. Even if we decide not to release the address, we will still tell the other party to your child support order about your request.

You may print the Address Disclosure Request to request the address. Complete the form, sign it before a notary public, and mail it to:

Division of Child Support
P.O. Box 11520
Tacoma, WA 98411-5520
How can I protect my child's address from being released by DCS?

DCS will let you know if someone requests the address of your child. You have the right to request a hearing if you do not want the child's address released. You must take the following action to prevent DCS from releasing the address:

  • Get a court or tribal order preventing release of the address, or provide a copy of an existing order.
  • Request an administrative hearing to show why DCS should not release the address. DCS must follow the instructions of a final administrative order resulting from the hearing. DCS will not release the address until all appeal rights are exhausted.
  • If you receive a TANF grant, contact your public assistance caseworker and ask about claiming "Good Cause".
  • DCS will not release the residential address of a person enrolled in the Address Confidentiality Program through the
    Secretary of State's Office.

Read about your child support case and Domestic Violence issues.

Learn more about Domestic Violence and Victim Services Programs.

How can I request information from my DCS case record?

DCS may release information from your DCS case for purposes of establishment, modification, or enforcement of a support order.

  • First contact your Support Enforcement Officer. Many records, such as a payment history, are immediately releasable.

  • To make a written request, print a Request for Disclosure of DSHS Records, fill it out, and send it to DCS.

  • You must indicate on the form exactly what information you seek and the reason for your request. DCS will respond to your request within 5 working days. When copies exceed 20 pages, DCS may ask you to pay for the cost of the copies.

If DCS cannot release the information we will send you a denial. You have the right to petition a review of the denial.

How can I respond to a medical support notice?
  • Respond to Part A, Notice to Withhold for Health Care Coverage by returning the Employer Response or by calling DCS.
  • If you serve as your own plan administrator, respond to Part B, Medical Support Notice to Plan Administrator by completing the Plan Administrator Response and the Washington State Addendum to Box 2 of Part B - Plan 

If you have questions about the National Medical Support Notice, you can get help in the following ways:

How do I access benefits anywhere in Washington?

The majority of your DSHS business may be conducted online at Apply for Services, by calling the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-501-2233 or by visiting any local community services office near you. WorkFirst and Social Services must be conducted at your home office.

How do I access medical services if I am pregnant?

If you are already receiving benefits, you need to notify us of this change by calling the Washington Healthplanfinder Customer Support Center 1-855-923-4633. If you are in need of medical coverage, you can Apply for Services online, by phone at 1-855-923-4633, or by submitting an Application for health care coverage. If you need assistance applying online, visit Health Benefit Exchange Navigator to find one near you.

How do I apply for benefits?

You may complete an application online for most DSHS benefits here: Apply for Services. For your convenience you have the option to visit your local community services office to access in-person services, or call 877-501-2233 to apply for benefits by phone. You can view more information at How to Apply for Services

 

How do I calculate the employee's net disposable income?
  • Compute the gross amount that you owe to the employee for the pay period.
  • If the employee took any advances, add those amounts back in.
  • Deduct the amounts that are required by law, such as IRS income taxes, FICA, Social Security and L&I. If union membership or pension contribution is mandatory, deduct union dues and/or pension amounts.
  • Do not deduct such amounts as car Payments, non-mandatory union dues, or voluntary savings deposits.
  • The amount remaining is the employee's net disposable income. Now divide that amount by two, and that's the amount that is subject to withholding.
  • After withholding the child support amount, go on and deduct any other amounts that you normally deduct from the employee's paycheck. These "voluntary deductions" are not subject to the 50% limit.
  • US Mail Payment Address
    • Washington State Support Registry
      PO Box 45868
      Olympia, WA 98504-5868
How do I compute the amount to withhold each payday?

The Income Withholding for Support tells you how much to withhold each month.

  • If you pay once a month, withhold that amount (unless it's more than 50% of the employee's net disposable income) from each paycheck
  • If you pay more than once a month, here's how to calculate the amount from each check: for each month, divide the monthly withhold amount by the number of paychecks for that month, then withhold that much from each check.
  • If the OWI asks you to withhold a certain percentage of the employee's earnings, withhold that percentage amount each payday.
  • US Mail Payment Address
    • Washington State Support Registry
      PO Box 45868
      Olympia, WA 98504-5868
How do I correct a mistake when I report a new hire on the Internet?

DCSOnline Services processes new hire reports at 6:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) each day. You can edit or cancel an online report until the system has processed it.

  1. Select View, Change, or Cancel Pending New Hire Report from the menu..
  2. To change one report, click Edit or Cancel.
  3. To cancel all reports for one company, or all fixed width reports, click Cancel All Pending.

If the report has already been processed, you will need to re-submit the new hire with the correct information.

How do I get medical support included in my support order?

If you have a case with Washington's Division of Child Support, and your support order contains no medical support provision, you may request DCS modify the order to include medical.

To ask DCS to review your order:

  1. Print the following forms:
  2. Complete the forms as required, and mail them to your child support office.
  3. DCS will request worksheets from the other party. (This process may take more than 30 days from the time DCS receives your information.)
How do I get the income of the other party to modify my child support order?

If you are modifying your child support and do not have the income of the other party, you may send DCS a Request for Income Information for Purposes of Entering a Child Support Order, DSHS 18-701.

For more information to help in modifying your order, see the brochure How to obtain or modify a Child Support Order on your own, DSHS 22-021.

If you don't already have a case with us, you may apply for our services.

How do I let DCS know if the employee no longer works here?
  • You can contact DCS by email
  • Call a Field Office
  • Call DCS's Employer Relations Team at 1-800-562-0479
  • Print and fill out a copy of this form and mail it to: DCS, PO Box 11520, Tacoma WA 98411-552
How do I make a payment?

If your support order tells you to send payments to the Washington State Support Registry or you received a notice from DCS to send your payments to WSSR, send your payments to the following address:

Washington State Support Registry
PO Box 45868
Olympia, WA 98504-5868

  • To insure accurate processing, please make sure your Social Security Number is clearly noted on your payment.
  • For your convenience, DCS offers Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) options for paying child support. A noncustodial parent can register and make payments using the Division of Child Support Internet Payment Service. To register or view an online demonstration, visit our web site.
  • Click here to obtain an EFT authorization form. An EFT deduction or Internet Payment cannot replace federally mandated wage withholding. If your case requires DCS to establish wage withholding, we will continue to do so. For more information regarding EFT, please contact our EFT Customer Service Unit at 1-800-468-7422.
  • If you receive a notice from another state to send your support payments to their child support agency, contact the other state. Be sure to tell them if you are currently sending your payments to WSSR. They will tell you where to send your future child support payments.
  • Send payments to WSSR as directed by your support order unless you have received a notice from another child support agency telling you to send payments to them.

If you still have questions, contact your support enforcement officer at the phone number listed on the last page of the notice you received. If you are not sure which office handles your case, call the KIDS line at 1-800-442-KIDS (5437).

How do I manually enter a new hire report on the Internet?

Select Manually Enter Single New Hire Report and complete the data entry form.
Click Report This New Hire when you are done.

Employer Data

  • If you do not have a company on file the data entry form will ask you to enter the Employer Data.
  • If you have one company on file the system will automatically add the Employer Data to the form.
  • If you have more than one company on file the system will ask you to select the company for which you want to report.
  • If you have one or more companies on file and you want to add a new company follow the Add a Company link.

What happens after I submit the report?

  • If the report has errors you must correct the errors and click Report This New Hire when you are done.
  • If the report has no errors the page will display a message that we successfully received the report.
  • The system will email you a receipt of your report after 6pm (Pacific Time) when it processes all reports for the day.
How do I petition the modification of an administrative support order?

Either DCS, the noncustodial parent, or the custodial parent may petition to modify an administrative support order.

If you still have questions, contact your support enforcement officer at the phone number listed on the last page of the notice you received. If you are not sure which office handles your case, call the KIDS line at 1-800-442-KIDS (5437).

How do I prepare for an interview after I’ve submitted an application?

You may need to gather information to provide us with verification necessary to make a decision about your case. Verification is the proof we need to decide if you are eligible for benefits. We will tell you what we need proof of, but the type of verification you provide is up to you. The verification page of this website provides more information on what may be requested.

How do I report Medicaid Provider Fraud in Washington State?

Medicaid funding and services are administered by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Health and Recovery Services Administration, except for the nursing home program, which is administered by the Aging and Disability Services Administration.

Medicaid covered services include hospital care, skilled nursing home care, residential adult family care services, and professional services provided by physicians and laboratories. Washington Medicaid also includes hospice, mental health, dental services, and eyeglasses.

Providers include doctors, nurses, dentists, clinics, ambulance and transportation, companies, hospitals, nursing homes, adult family homes, boarding homes, laboratories, pharmacies, home health care providers, and medical equipment suppliers. For more information: Medicaid Fraud Control Division.

There are two types of Medicaid fraud: Medicaid Provider fraud and Medicaid Client fraud.

  • The Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Division investigates Provider Fraud.

To report Medicaid Provider Fraud: Fighting and Reporting Medicaid Fraud

Washington State Welfare Fraud Hotline: 1-800-562-6906

OFA investigates Welfare Fraud in the state of Washington. The word Welfare is used to include: Public Assistance programs and benefits; food stamps; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Quest card, which is used for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT); and Childcare benefits.

For additional questions or if you are Law Enforcement, you can leave a message, and your call will be returned within 24 hours at 360-664-5505.