October 11, 2007
Child Support Enforcement Adds to Website
Those owing child support in Montana can now pay online with a credit card or e-check thanks to a new addition to the Child Support Enforcement Division (CSED) website, state officials said Thursday.
The new Child Support Payments site is geared to small businesses and those individuals who live out-of-state or travel frequently, said Lonnie Olson, CSED administrator with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
“It’s more convenient, especially for those living overseas who now have this as an alternative,” Olson said.
The ability to pay online complements other electronic services already available including the Electronic Funds Transfer/Electronic Data Interchange system, primarily used by larger businesses, and direct deposit.
The new service is located at http://app.mt.gov/csp/.
After setting up a free state government ePass account, customers can click either ‘employer’ or ‘individual’ to make a payment.
A third button, ‘child support lookup’, offers customers the opportunity to access up-to-date personal child support payment history. It’s the same information that would be available to CSED staff.
Feedback from customers already using the new feature has been positive, said CSED administrative services bureau chief Susan Ramsey. “People have found it easy to use and are excited the service is available,” she said.
Currently, the CSED staff manages 40,000 cases involving 120,000 people and collects over $60 million in payments per year.
Payments, of course, will still be accepted by check.
The new option has been an excellent tool for staff, considering the high volume of payments that are arrive daily by mail to the CSED office, Ramsey said.
There are other advantages as well. “The payments that come via online are recorded automatically,” she said. "Automatic processing is more efficient and the goal is to increase the number of payments received electronically."
Another new website addition that caters to employers has also been added. The New Hire Reporting System allows employers to quickly enroll their new hires online in lieu of either calling or faxing in the information to the CSED office.
CSED employer relations specialist Julie Bailey said the new system is a quick and efficient. “All they have to do is fill out the information online using their Federal Employer Identification Number, hit submit and be on their merry way,” she said. Employers can also use the site to update appropriate employee information.
The site can be accessed at https://vhsp.dphhs.state.mt.us/nhrs.
However, if employers prefer, they can still call or fax in the new hire information, Bailey said.
Since 1997, federal law requires every employer in the United States to record their new hires within 20 days of date of hire. On a daily basis, CSED uploads all new hire information to state and federal directories.
The new website features were developed by Montana Interactive and is supported by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Montana Department of Administration's Information Technology Services Division.
For more information about online Child Support Payments call Ramsey at 444-0924.
For more information about the New Hire Reporting Program call Bailey at 444-6893.
