Frequently Asked Questions

Some historical information is available to DCSOnline Services users who submit new hire reports on the Internet. View Summary of Previous New Hire Reports provides limited information about reports you submitted online, or that were submitted online for your company. It does not include employee specific information or reports not submitted using DCSOnline Services. The summary report includes:

• the date and time reported,
• the reporting method used (Single Report, CSV, or Fixed Width), and
• the number of new hire records reported, modified, or deleted.

New users can begin formatting and testing your CSV file:

1. View the File Specification.
2. Format your file using the specific requirements.
3. Add your new hire information to the file.
4. Use the online CSV File Format Validation tool to check that the file is correctly formatted.

When you are ready to submit your new hire report:

1. Select Upload Comma Separated Values (CSV) New Hire Report File from the menu.
2. Use the Browse button to select the file and then click Upload New Hire File.

What happens after I upload the file?

1. If the file has errors you must correct the errors and upload the file again.
2. If the file has no errors the page will display a message that we successfully received the report.
3. The system will email you a receipt of your report after 6 pm (Pacific Time) when it processes all reports for the day.

A noncustodial parent may claim credits for direct payments made to the custodial parent, court clerk, support registry, or another state child support agency prior to receiving a notice from the Division of Child Support.

• DCS may give credit for verifiable proof of payments such as copies of the front and back of cancelled checks or money orders, or receipts showing that the lawful payee or custodian cashed the checks or received the payments, or documentation verifying direct bank deposits. DCS may consult with the custodial parent before allowing credit.
• DCS may give credit for proof of "in-kind" payments made prior to service of an administrative notice. "In-kind" payments" are for food, clothing, shelter, or medical expenses only.
• DCS may not give credit for payments intended as gifts.
• After DCS serves a NFFR requiring the noncustodial parent to pay through the Washington State Support Registry (WSSR), DCS may not give credit for payments to anyone other than WSSR.

• Depending on the circumstances of the case, DCS may try to collect support from a non-wage earning noncustodial parent in a number of ways, including:
• Suspending driver's, recreational, and occupational licenses.
• Attaching bank or retirement accounts.
• Filing liens on real and personal property.
• Seizing vehicles.
• Asking the court to find the noncustodial parent in contempt of court.

The Division of Child Support (DCS) distributes support collections within two (2) days of receipt with limited exceptions. DCS uses a mathematical formula by which DCS distributes payments to cases, current support, and arrears.

• Current support is paid first. If a payment does not equal the total amount owed for all the noncustodial parent's cases, DCS divides the payment proportionately.
• Once current support for the month is paid, DCS applies amounts over current support to arrears, or past due support.
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax refund intercept payments are an exception to this rule. DCS must apply these payments first to arrears owed to the state, then arrears owed to the family. DCS may not currently apply IRS tax intercept payments to current support.
  • Before 10/1/08, DCS distributed collections received from the IRS to past due support on certified debt only. DCS did not distribute IRS collections to current support.
  • Between 10/1/08 and 6/30/10, DCS distributed collections received from the IRS to current support first and then to past due support on certified cases only.
  • Beginning 7/1/10, DCS distributes collections received from the IRS to past due support on certified debt only. DCS may not distribute IRS collections to current support.

Note: Past due support payments are also proportioned based on a percent of total.

Custodial parents may receive their child support payments in one of two ways:

• DCS staff determine if the custodial parent authorized a direct deposit for their child support payments. DCS will send the custodial parent a Direct Deposit verification letter if we have all the required bank information.
• DCS may enroll the custodial parent in the DCS Card program if the CP does not provide a completed direct deposit application.

DCS sends the obligated parent's employer or union a National Medical Support Notice. The Notice tells the employer:

To enroll the child in a health plan available to the obligated parent.

The maximum amount the obligated parent can pay for the children's medical insurance under the provisions of the support order.

If the cost of the medical premium exceeds the amount on the Notice, the employer cannot enroll the child. The employer has 20 business days to respond to DCS and forward Part B of the Notice to the Plan Administrator. When DCS receives information about the medical plan, DCS notifies the other parent.

If medical insurance is available, it may require the obligated parent to enroll in the plan in addition to enrolling the child. Under certain circumstances, DCS can require the obligated parent to enroll in the plan.

When a noncustodial parent has more than one case with DCS, the law tells DCS how to split up a support payment between cases. It's based on a percent-of-total basis.

Current support is paid first. If a payment does not equal the total amount owed for all the noncustodial parent's cases, DCS divides the payment proportionately. Once current support for the month is paid, DCS applies amounts over current support to back support owed.

IRS tax refund intercept payments are an exception to this rule. DCS must apply these payments first to arrears owed to the state, then arrears owed to the family. DCS may not apply IRS tax intercept payments to current support. This process will change effective with IRS payments received by DCS on or after October 1, 2008.

Back support payments are also proportioned based on a percent of total. If you received public assistance in another state that has asked DCS to collect back support, that case will receive a percent of the back support payment. When DCS is providing payment processing services only (PSO) on one of the cases, the non-custodial parent must send payments and indicate that a payment is for the PSO case only. Otherwise, DCS will apply payments proportionately to the non-PSO cases.

• Within 20 business days after the date of the Notice:
  • Check the appropriate box and send the Employer Response to DCS, or call DCS with the appropriate response.
  • Send Part B, Medical Support Notice to Plan Administrator to the office or labor union who administers the health care plan.
• If you serve as your own plan administrator, return the Plan Administrator Response to DCS within 40 business days after the date of the Notice.

When DCS initiates collection action an employer or business has twenty days to answer the Notice of Payroll Deduction or Order to Withhold and Deliver. The employer or business has seven days to send the withheld support to DCS. The law requires DCS to send the Custodial Parent support within two working days after receipt.

When an employer refuses to cooperate with a withholding action, DCS may have to begin noncompliance action against the employer. We start the formal action by sending a Notice of Noncompliance to the employer. This additional legal process can take an additional month or more. For more information refer to the Employer and Income Withholding Information page on the DCS web site.