Child Support Frequently Asked Questions

Child Support Services (CSS) can establish parentage for your child, locate the NCP (non-custodial parent), obtain or modify a child support order, send an income withholding notice to the NCP’s employer for payroll deduction, deduct support from unemployment insurance benefits, send a medical support notice to enroll dependent(s) in health insurance coverage, and connect to family resources. CSS provides services involving Illinois, other states and territories, and other countries. 
 
CSS also has multiple ways to collect past-due child support, such as: Intercept federal and/or state tax refunds, deny a passport, suspend/revoke a professional and/or recreational license, suspend a driver’s license, report delinquency to credit bureaus, and place a lien on finances/real estate/personal property.

Enrollment for child support services is easily done via the new CSS Child Support eServices portal. Simply click “How do I enroll for child support services”, click the <Enroll> button, then follow the instructions. You can also visit your local CSS Regional Office or contact the child support CSS Call Center at 1-800-447-4278 or TTY1-800-526-5812. See Enroll for Services – What We Do for more information.

No. Our services are not automatically provided unless you receive TANF benefits from the Department of Human Services. If you would like to apply for CSS child support services, see the response to the above question “How do I enroll?”

If you are receiving TANF, you must cooperate with CSS to receive full TANF benefits. If your children are receiving medical services through All Kids, you will be sent a letter informing you of the Child Support Services program and advising you that if you wish to receive child support services then you must enroll for services.

Parentage is a legal relationship between a parent and their child. Parentage must be legally established before any financial child support order can be obtained.

Parentage can be established voluntarily, administratively, or judicially. The Department can assist with parentage establishment. If a parentage order has already established you as a parent and you are not a parent, you need to seek legal advice.

An income withholding order (IWO) is sent to the employer telling them the appropriate amount to withhold from each paycheck, no matter how often you are paid. The State Disbursement Unit processes the payment. See Employers and Income Withholding for further information.

No, paying through income withholding is the law.

Check the information available from your dashboard on the new Child Support eServices portal where you can print payments from the Payment Details panel. The payments listing will be saved as an Adobe PDF document which you can download to your computer device then print. However, this verification is not a legal document that can be used in court proceedings because the financial information is not certified. You may also contact the CSS Call Center at 1-800-447-4278, or for TTY call 1-800-526-5812. to request a copy of your payment history.

When this is the situation, CSS cannot obtain child support payments through income withholding. The NCP will need to pay for the support via one of the payment options indicated on the Make A Payment webpage.

Our Income Withholding Unit at 1-888-245-1938 can address these questions. 

Despite the NCP’s employment status, child support must still be paid. Billing statements with payment and remittance information are sent to the NCP. If the NCP receives Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB) from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), an income withholding notice will be sent to IDES for up to 50% of the UIB to apply to child support.

CSS can collect child support even if the NCP resides in another state. CSS works cooperatively with other states to enforce child support orders. If you have new address or employment information for the NCP, please provide this information through the new Child Support eServices portal by editing the NCP’s personal information on your case, or  contact the CSS Call Center at 1-800-447-4278, or for TTY call 1-800-526-5812.

If you are working, report your employment information to CSS. We will send an income withholding notice for the support amount to be withheld directly from your pay. See Make a Payment for payment options.

You need to provide documentation of payments (money orders, copies of both sides of checks, or printouts of Venmo or other online payment methods) to the CSS Regional Office servicing your case.

If your child support order was issued in court, the income withholding will need to be addressed with the court. CSS services may have been canceled, but the order to pay child support continues.

CSS does not assist parents with any visitation related issue. Assistance needed on this matter would have to be discussed with a private attorney of your choosing.

Social Security Retirement Insurance Benefits (RIB) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are subject to withholding for child support. Survivors Insurance Benefits (SIB) may be withheld, but more information regarding the benefit and payment obligation is needed to determine this. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments cannot be garnished. Additionally, your child may be eligible for a Social Security Dependent Allotment (SSDA), which is paid directly to the CP. When the child receives an Allotment, the amount of the SSDA is applied to your child support and medical support obligations, if ordered. If the SSDA is greater than the child and/or medical support obligations, you will not have support withheld from your Social Security benefits.

If you are receiving SSI, you do not have to pay for child support. However, if you obtain part-time employment, your income can be garnished.

The hearing will be conducted by an HFS hearing officer or a court judge. The department's representative will attempt to answer any questions you have about the hearing at the time of your interviews. However, it should be noted that the department's representative cannot provide any type of legal advice.

During the process of establishing parentage and/or child support for your child, you may be required to attend a hearing and testify to a variety of questions. The type of questions asked depends on the type of hearing being held. For example, if legal parentage has not been established, you will be asked questions which may include very specific and personal information regarding the circumstances that led to conception. If the hearing also involves an issue of financial support for the child, you will be asked questions which will help determine the amount of child support to be paid. You may be asked questions pertaining to your marital status, number of children involved in the case, employment, income, living expenses and insurance coverage.

You will receive a letter stating whether it is mandatory for you to attend.

Unless otherwise ordered by the court, your current child support obligation ends on the effective date of the adoption. However, if there was a balance due on your case at the time of the adoption, you must continue to pay until the balance is satisfied. Also, CSS will require a copy of the adoption order.

CSS will continue to track balances and will add a delinquency payment amount to any future income withholding until the past-due support is paid. CSS will also use special collections options to obtain support. These options include: federal and state income tax refund offsets, comptroller offsets, bank liens, property liens, lawsuit/settlement liens, driver’s license suspension, hunting/fishing license suspension, professional license suspension, passport denial/revocation, and offset of lottery and/or casino winnings.

CSS does not jail for non-payment of child support. However, a judge can impose jail time as a penalty for failure to comply with a child support order after a finding of the non-payment as contempt.

 This is a letter sent to NCP’s behind in their child support payments to notify them of federal remedies that may be put into place to collect on the past-due child support.

CSS does not share this information so that collection remedies remain effective. If the criteria were made public, an NCP might stay under a benchmark and make it harder to collect past-due support.

If you have an active child support case with CSS, reference the financial information available from your dashboard on the new Child Support eServices portal, contact the CSS Call Center at 1-800-447-4278, or for TTY call 1-800-526-5812, or visit the  CSS Regional Office servicing your case.

Send a written request to the Data Gathering Unit (DGU). Be sure to include the information below, as well as payment ledgers and any other documentation to support your claim. 

Data Gathering Unit (DGU)
P.O. Box 19152
Springfield, IL 62794
 

Include the following in your letter and on each document you submit: 
 

•  Your name
• Your Social Security Number
• Support order docket number
•  Other parent’s name
•  Child support case number  

Each case is unique, so no timetable can be provided. Account review requests are worked in the order in which received. You may find information on your dashboard on the new CSS eServices portal. Please allow about 60 days before contacting the CSS Call Center at 1-800-447-4278, or for TTY call 1-800-526-5812 for the status of the review.

To appeal a decision of the Department, you must submit a written request for a hearing to CSS within the specified time frame as stated in the notice. When appealing the amount of child support owed, you must include copies of documents to support your request. Mail your appeal request to:
 

Cook Appeals Offset Unit – Administrative Hearing Request
Child Support Services
IL Dept of Healthcare and Family Services
115 S LaSalle 21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60603

This means that the State, or an Agency of the State, is entitled to receive payments pursuant to the law.

A child support order is a legal document stating how much, how often, and for how long a parent must pay child support. It also may establish which parent must provide medical insurance.

If your order was issued in court, you should contact the circuit clerk in the county where your order was issued. For administrative orders, complete and mail the Request for a Certified Copy of the Administrative Support Order form.

CSS can help you get an order established. You also may obtain one on your own through court.

You can verify your child support order data on file for enforcement from your dashboard on the new eServices portal, or you can contact the CSS Call Center at 1-800-447-4278, or for TTY call 1-800-526-5812. 

You can send a copy of your child support order to us via the new Child Support eServices portal by uploading the order per provided instructions, or you can email it as an attachment, mail it or hand-deliver a copy to the CSS Regional Office servicing your case.

You need to send CSS a copy of your order. You can do this by sending your information via the new CSS eServices portal, or by emailing it as an attachment, mailing it, or hand-delivering a copy to the CSS Regional Office servicing your case. For confirmation of receipt and follow-up action, contact the CSS Call Center at 1-800-447-4278, or for TTY call 1-800-526-5812.

An Administrative Order is issued by CSS. A Judicial Order is issued by the court.

Yes. The matter must be brought before the circuit court, and the court must issue its own support order.

New orders, even if indicated will be sent to CSS, should be sent by a party to the order to CSS via the new eServices portal, or emailed as an attachment, mailed, or a copy hand-delivered to the CSS Regional Office servicing your case.

No, not until the order is modified by the court. You may request a modification of the support terms yourself at the circuit clerk of the county where your order was issued, or request that CSS have the order modified by contacting the CSS Call Center at 1-800-447-4278, or for TTY call 1-800-526-5812, or 1-888-245-1938. Payments should continue to be made while awaiting modification.

No. This does not happen automatically. You must request a modification, either through the circuit clerk or through us.

See Request a Modification.  

You must request a modification either through the Circuit Clerk or through us.

See Request a Modification.

Depending on the status of the filing, and per IRS guidelines, these offsets may be held automatically for a period of 30 days, and up to 6 months. If an offset has been collected, information should be available on the new CSS eServices portal.

CSS cannot share this amount until the payment is on the way to you, as it is subject to adjustment by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If an offset has been disbursed to you, information should be available on the new CSS eServices portal. If you are the parent who is due support, you will be able to see the date and the amount of the last payment you were sent on Child Support eServices in the green Payments section of your dashboard.

Offset tax refunds are processed and disbursed by the State Disbursement Unit (SDU). If you are the parent who is due support, you will be able to see the date and the amount of the last payment you were sent on the new CSS eServices portal in the green Payments section of your dashboard. You will also be able to see the method by which you receive payments in this section. The offset amount will be sent to you via the disbursement method you set-up with SDU. Contact SDU at 1-877-225-7077 or visit www.ilsdu.com to verify or change your established disbursement option.

This means that the amount of federal income taxes withheld from your pay in a preceding year is more than the amount of federal income taxes you owed. The notice is informing you that the amount you overpaid in federal income taxes will be sent to Illinois for payment towards past-due child support instead of being refunded.

Yes, but only if they are the client on the case.

f you are not receiving TANF, and there is no money due to the State of Illinois, you can contact the CSS Call Center at1-800-447-4278 or for TTY call 1-800-526-5812, or visit the CSS Regional Office servicing your case.

Income withholding is based on the child support order, not the status of child support services. If your order was issued in court, you (the CP) will need to have the child support order addressed in court to cease the withholding. If your child support order was issued administratively, you (the CP) must supply the CSS Regional Office servicing your case with a written request to stop the income withholding, or contact the CSS Call Center at 1-800-447-4278 or for TTY call 1-800-526-5812 for direction.

The 1099 INT is the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) informational form used to report interest income. The interest paid on past-due child support is considered income and taxable by the IRS. Questions regarding IRS policy should be directed to the IRS.

An Illinois Supreme Court Decision held that interest is mandatory effective with the passage of Illinois Public Act 85-2 on May 1, 1987. The interest rate on Illinois orders for child support more than 30 days past due is charged at .0075 (9% annually).

This would be indicated on your court order

Effective Jan. 1, 2021, CSS no longer calculates interest, establishes interest, or enforces interest if it has not been presented to and ordered by the court. Effective on this date, CSS also no longer establishes interest in every case. Interest is only established and/or enforced for participants meeting the criteria contained in 89 Illinois Administrative Code Section 160.89. However, you still may be required to pay interest. The law does not change how interest can be charged or how it accrues, but CSS no longer enforces it unless an interest amount is ordered by the court.

If the court has ordered an interest amount to be paid as part of the child support order, you are required to pay the amount.

An opportunity to request interest adjudication, through Department of Healthcare and Family Services, will be available at the end of your case. The youngest/only child on the case must be emancipated. The principal balance on the case must be paid in full and a written request for adjudicated interest must be received by CSS within one year after meeting the criteria.

You will have an opportunity to request adjudication of interest if enrollment includes a written request for interest and the request is received by the Department within a year of meeting the criteria contained in 89 Illinois Administrative Code Section 160.89. If received more than a year after meeting criteria, your request will not be regarded as timely, and CSS will be unable to assist in the adjudication of interest. However, CSS will enforce any order for payment of interest obtained by yourself or your attorney.

In Illinois, a minor child emancipates at eighteen years of age unless otherwise ordered by the Court. The law provides that child support may be extended to include the period between the child’s 18th birthday and their date of graduation from high school, but not beyond the age of 19. Enforcement of child support may continue past emancipation for children determined to be permanently disabled before age 18.

Yes. As a part of our services, CSS will continue to collect past-due child support through income withholding and special collection remedies.

CSS helps obtain child support orders until the only/youngest child emancipates, unless the child is permanently disabled. The only consideration of grade level regards continuation of support until the end of high school. So, if a minor child is attending college classes, CSS will pursue establishment or modification of a support order. If the child is attending college after emancipation, only an order regarding collection of past-due support or interest is obtained.