Partly I need help with this, partly I need to vent.

I'll start at the beginning and give as much detail as possible to express my frustration. Something has got to be done to improve this process!!

Back in August/September my ex-husband and I went through the court system to determine the legal amount of child support he was required to pay. Once an amount was settled upon the papers were drawn up, case closed. Payments were supposed to be taken out of each of his checks and mailed to my home address. This is where it gets messy.

Payments were taken out of his check and mailed to DHS instead. That is the new policy according to DHS. All cases going through the court system and automatically coming out of employment checks have to go through them. Problem was, no one told us this. I waited and waited - I've never dealt with DHS so I didn't know how they worked. Would I receive a check each time they received one? Would it be once a month? I had no idea. So I waited.

After over a month of waiting I tried to call their office. Ha! Good luck with that one. If you ever get an actual person, you will be transferred a million times and then hung up on. This happened 3 times in a row. I found a general email so I sent them one explaining the situation. According to the person that responded a week later, they didn't have an account for me. I would have to fill out the paperwork and send it in along with a copy of the court papers and copies of his paystubs showing he made payments. OK. No problem, send me the papers!

I get the papers and there are 10 of them I have to fill out including a description of the father so they can go find him. These are papers for DHS to hunt down the dead beat parent and make them pay child support. I don't need this service, I just need my money you already have! At this point I have my attorney fax over the court papers with a note asking for the matter to be taken care of.
I filled out the papers and sent them in with explanations of the situation. I get a phone call from my attorney stating that someone in the office contacted us and says they have been receiving money for me they just didn't know where to send it. They pull up my information and will put a check in the mail! Hooray.

A couple of weeks later I get something from the DHS department. It is a welfare credit card. So now I can access my money from any ATM in which I have to pay transaction fees. What? I have to pay you to access my money now? And I have to use certain ATMs. I can only make 2 monetary withdrawals a month or I have to pay a $4 fee each time thereafter. hmmm.... By the time I get this card I am 4 payments behind on child support. I called the toll free number, set up the account, got a pin, and checked the balance. There was only one payment deposited to the card. Oh and the card is in my maiden name which I haven't used since 1996. I don't care. I go to the bank and take the money out before DHS loses it again.

This monring I sent an email to the person I have been going back and forth with until now. This person never signs the emails so I don't know if it goes into an office pool and whoever opens the email responds to it, I don't know if I have an account manager, I know nothing. I tell the email fairy that I received the debit card and that I should have 4 payments on the card and only have 1. I just got a response that states my request has been forwarded to our State Receipt Unit as it is showing to be a pass through case. They also sent my email to the South OKC office as the application I supplied has been forwarded to that office and all future inquiries will need to be addressed to them. They attached my case number as well. So yay, I finally at least have that.

What is a pass through case? I have no idea. Does that mean they are just taking my checks and passing them on to me? Does that mean they only had one payment and that's all I get? Nothing is being explained to me! I looked through the website and found they determine which office you are assigned to by your area zip code. My zip code is 73013 - which shows I should be assigned to the North office. Why has all my stuff been reassigned to the South office??

If this is really the capabilities of our Department of Human Services.... no wonder their funding is all screwed up! No wonder children are not being checked on, the elderly are being neglected, and people would rather starve then have them find absent parents and make them pay child support!! This is absolutely ridiculous.

Well, it's March now. Maybe I will have money by Christmas.

if you have a good state rep/senator they can sometimes help you get messes like this ironed out. just send them an email explaining your situation and follow up with call.

In Your Corner? Does that still exist, and would they tackle a state agency? That is a terrible story.

Well my guess is someone on here works for or knows someone that works for DHS. So thank you to whoever pushed this along.

I now have a name and someone who seems to know what she is doing working on fixing this mess.

I will keep you posted. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

wow, what a mess. its sad that so much of our tax dollars are wasted on inefficient places like this

You poor thing. I don't have any advice to offer so will just send sympathy.

Partly I need help with this, partly I need to vent.

I'll start at the beginning and give as much detail as possible to express my frustration. Something has got to be done to improve this process!!


If this is really the capabilities of our Department of Human Services.... no wonder their funding is all screwed up! No wonder children are not being checked on, the elderly are being neglected, and people would rather starve then have them find absent parents and make them pay child support!! This is absolutely ridiculous.

Well, it's March now. Maybe I will have money by Christmas.

If you voted last time, you're part of the problem.

If you voted last time, you're part of the problem.

Yeah, because my vote has everything in the world to do with employees being able to do their job and having a process for new clients. :beaten_fi

Thanks East Coast.

Well, after a confusing debate my case is back at the North campus and they have explained to me what a passing case is. Also I should have one more deposit made today and the other two had some difficulties and have to be resubmitted. But at least they are working on it and I have an update!

I hope things are moving along a bit smoother now. It's amazing to me how large entities, whether they be corporate or governmental, can make things so incredibly difficult for people who try to play by the rules and get caught up in the bureaucracy, which is almost always caused by expansion inside agencies for purposes of turf protection. Anybody that deals with state government knows this is the case. Ultimately, the one hurt in all this is your young son.

At the end of the day, the courts are a poor, poor substitute (as are agencies) for families/individuals doing the right thing. Good men (women) are worth their weight in gold. The lousy ones muck it up for everyone.

I agree. I hate the mucker uppers.

I do have to say that even though it has been a mess and a nightmare for me, everyone that I have spoken with at DHS has been really nice. If it is this confusing for me, I'm sure they all go home at night and drink to wash away their day.

And I should also point out that my ex-husband is a good father. He has always paid...just kind of on his own terms. This was the only thing we ever fought about so the court system was the easiest way to be done with it. Just let the judge decide and be done with it.

K, I'm glad that it is all working out for you!

I finally received the final payment from this mess on Friday.
Now, I have to send a copy of my marriage license to get my name corrected. Thank God I never burned that. :) I thought my son might like to have it one day.

Now, I get to start all over because he changed jobs! hahaha. Oh my life is fun.

Well, that is good news.. at least you got some of the money you were owed! Hopefully, from here on out, it will be smoother!

Who is adopting these policies for DHS? Someone with a double digit IQ that got their degree from a shake -n- bake college?

No I am sorry to report that the 3 main media stations usually will not get involved until a case is settled. Then they can feel free to report it then because it has already been settled. It is done this way so they will be in the clear and can say they are only reporting the facts of a news story. It is well known you do not F**K with DHS in Oklahoma their retaliation can be really bad.

No I am sorry to report that the 3 main media stations usually will not get involved until a case is settled. Then they can feel free to report it then because it has already been settled. It is done this way so they will be in the clear and can say they are only reporting the facts of a news story. It is well known you do not F**K with DHS in Oklahoma their retaliation can be really bad.

Here in Tulsa that wasn't the case. My mother, who is disabled, is enrolled in Soonercare. When she enrolled in August 2007 she was never notified that she would have to renew the following August.

Granted, they were supposed to send her paperwork for the renewal, it was never received, so around the first of August she did receive a letter from DHS indicating that her Soonercare would not be renewed.

Long story short, her case worker was reassigned during this period. Good luck trying to get hold of her.

I left a few nasty voice mails indicating I would start with her supervisor and work my way up to OKC if that was necessary. She never called. When I left another nastygram, this time it was via voicemail AND email. I indicated I would be getting all four of the local media involved if I didn't hear back from her within 24 hours.

Guess what? Within about 30 minutes I had a call, and two days later the problem was sovled. As a matter of fact, she followed up to let us know that my mother would be receiving some information in the mail regarding her reactivation of her benefits.

What's the moral of the story? Even if the media doesn't do anything until after the case is disposed of, if you threaten them with media spotlight action usually is taken. I've heard this from a friend of mine whose wife now works for DHS.

You'r epast this point now, but your attorney should have been better in helpin gyou navigate the process initially.

Oh I forgot about this thread!
Update - well, I never got a new card because guess what...I had to pay for one! Can you believe that? They put the wrong name on the card and then tell me I have to pay $30 to have it changed. Screw that. I just go to the bank and take the money out and put it in my bank account rather than use the card, so I am just leaving my maiden name on there.
The only problem with that is the fact that you are only allowed 2 withdrawals a month before they charge you. Yep, they charge you a fee to get your own money out of a card you don't want in the first place.
It's a BS system created by someone who never has to use it.

The only problem with that is the fact that you are only allowed 2 withdrawals a month before they charge you. Yep, they charge you a fee to get your own money out of a card you don't want in the first place.
It's a BS system created by someone who never has to use it.

No, they giv eyou two free withdrawals. They aren't providing an ATM service for you.

No, they giv eyou two free withdrawals. They aren't providing an ATM service for you.

Yes, they give you two free per month. That's what I said. Then they charge you. They ARE providing an ATM service for me when they don't give me any other choice but to use an ATM card! I get paid child support twice a month, not once. And you can't withdraw the entire amount at once, so I have to use it more than twice. What about the people who get paid once a week? They just have to suck it up and pay a fee each time they want their own money?

Yes, they give you two free per month. That's what I said. Then they charge you. They ARE providing an ATM service for me when they don't give me any other choice but to use an ATM card! I get paid child support twice a month, not once. And you can't withdraw the entire amount at once, so I have to use it more than twice. What about the people who get paid once a week? They just have to suck it up and pay a fee each time they want their own money?

I understand they don't write checks they want to save paper too bad they can't do a direct deposit into your bank account. Gee there's a novel idea but I am sure there is a reason they can't do that either.

Here in Tulsa that wasn't the case. My mother, who is disabled, is enrolled in Soonercare. When she enrolled in August 2007 she was never notified that she would have to renew the following August.

Granted, they were supposed to send her paperwork for the renewal, it was never received, so around the first of August she did receive a letter from DHS indicating that her Soonercare would not be renewed.

Long story short, her case worker was reassigned during this period. Good luck trying to get hold of her.

I left a few nasty voice mails indicating I would start with her supervisor and work my way up to OKC if that was necessary. She never called. When I left another nastygram, this time it was via voicemail AND email. I indicated I would be getting all four of the local media involved if I didn't hear back from her within 24 hours.

Guess what? Within about 30 minutes I had a call, and two days later the problem was sovled. As a matter of fact, she followed up to let us know that my mother would be receiving some information in the mail regarding her reactivation of her benefits.

What's the moral of the story? Even if the media doesn't do anything until after the case is disposed of, if you threaten them with media spotlight action usually is taken. I've heard this from a friend of mine whose wife now works for DHS.

I am so glad that you were able to get your situation fixed maybe I should move to Tulsa. I got 1 media person who was not afraid and even after I proved they doctored my daughters drug test on T.V. they just doctored another one on the next court hearing so unfortunately it didn't do as much good as I thought. It did help get the word out though that story is now all over the internet.

Yes, they give you two free per month. That's what I said. Then they charge you. They ARE providing an ATM service for me when they don't give me any other choice but to use an ATM card! I get paid child support twice a month, not once. And you can't withdraw the entire amount at once, so I have to use it more than twice. What about the people who get paid once a week? They just have to suck it up and pay a fee each time they want their own money?

No, it's not a checking account for your convenience. I assume the state is paying for that service. You don' thave a fundamental right to receiving your child support as is most convenient to you, and I as a taxpayer don't want my tax dollars going toward that. Once a month should be enough, and you get it twice a month. That's not bad, but some people just are never satisfied, I guess.

No, it's not a checking account for your convenience. I assume the state is paying for that service. You don' thave a fundamental right to receiving your child support as is most convenient to you, and I as a taxpayer don't want my tax dollars going toward that. Once a month should be enough, and you get it twice a month. That's not bad, but some people just are never satisfied, I guess.

I think you are under assumptions that are not correct. I too am a tax payer and do not wish my taxes to be wasted. What I guess you missed is that I did not choose this. My ex husband has always - always - paid his child support. He has paid it directly to me and we've never had a problem. DHS is the one who insisted it go through their office. They are the ones who insisted it be on a card. They are the ones who claim to want to save paper by not writing checks the, make you fill out 132 pages of paper for services you do not wish to have nor need. That is what I call wasteful. Their time and money and our taxes would be better spent on people who need their services to collect money they are not getting. Once a month isn't what most people get. You child support is taken out of each check the payor receives - so if they get paid once a month, you get paid once a month. Most people get paid weekly or bimonthly, therefore child support is more often received multiple times per month. It's not like I get twice the amount of money, I just get paid smaller amounts more often. I feel I DO have a right to say how I should be getting MY money. Because it's just that. MINE. DHS does not pay me. They do not provide any service to me that I require. It is just some political ploy to show how busy they are. When they went before the state to try to aquire more money, they came up with this brilliant plan to separate the child services division from the elderly division. They needed every child support case they could just to show how much money they would need for that side. That is when they decided that every case that goes before a judge becomes mandatory services provided by them. It doesn't matter what the situation is. The judge used to be able to say direct deposit or check directly to the payee. Now it all has to go through DHS. Without regard for who or what the situation is. So not only are my taxes being wasted to provide services for those who don't need it, they are now in charge of my money.

You obviously don't use their services or work there.

You want to avoid these things, don't have kids or don't get a divorce. Presumably, DHS processes these payments so as to better monitor deadbeat dads and to help ensure you get your money. They are not a consumer bank, nor should you expect such service from them, and frankly, you expecting such service from them makes me question whether you're dealing in realistic terms regarding this problem.

The rest of your post is a bunch logical fallacies that need not be addressed.

Ummm...I expect ZERO service from them. I don't need them. I don't want them.

Exactly what you said. They were created to help ensure deadbeat dads pay for their kids. I don't have one of those!

I have been divorced for 8 years btw and never needed them. So I guess it's not about getting a divorce is it dear.

kmf563...I would really like to get with you (e-amil). You can contact me at jacodenn5201@att.net.

Thanks,

Dennis
Oklahoma City

Dennis and Jacob's Page - Children Need Both Parents (http://cnbpinc.ning.com/profile/Dennis)

Please let me know who get in touch with! I am seriously considering sueing the state. I have had a case where i was getting child support and then my ex husband and his current wife seperated and she went to DHS. Now they take out for both of our families but she gets all the funds because she is on welfare. I have tried to straighten this out but again i am put on hold for 30 minutes and then have a really rude person tell me that they can't help me! I desperately need the money that i am owed! i don't ask the state for assistance i work for my money and all i ask is for the money they owe. Please let me know the contact or how you got this resolved.

When DHS decided they needed to have their hands in my son's father paying support to me, I got paperchecks. After several years, I was given the option of automatic deposit or the card I assume you are speaking of. With automatic deposit, it doesn't cost you a thing.
However, they have just loved to charge 25-50 bucks a year for the convenience of getting me the money I assume and every year, my former husband's refunds are robbed of what they think he owes DESPITE the fact that they have taken everything they should have all year long.
Yea, real stupid idiots.
Either way, just make sure you don't ever have to have them in your life for any other reason because they will all but destroy you if your children get removed.

iwantmysonback, are they still doing that to your former husband's refunds? If so, and if they send it all to you, I hope you gave it all back in cash to him, if you are still in contact with him.

My child support has always been direct deposited into my ex's account.......the child support for my stepson was being put onto one of those debit cards but all it took was a phone call and a form to get that changed into being direct deposited into our checking account. It was really that easy......

I think you are under assumptions that are not correct. I too am a tax payer and do not wish my taxes to be wasted. What I guess you missed is that I did not choose this. My ex husband has always - always - paid his child support. He has paid it directly to me and we've never had a problem. DHS is the one who insisted it go through their office. They are the ones who insisted it be on a card. They are the ones who claim to want to save paper by not writing checks the, make you fill out 132 pages of paper for services you do not wish to have nor need. That is what I call wasteful. Their time and money and our taxes would be better spent on people who need their services to collect money they are not getting. Once a month isn't what most people get. You child support is taken out of each check the payor receives - so if they get paid once a month, you get paid once a month. Most people get paid weekly or bimonthly, therefore child support is more often received multiple times per month. It's not like I get twice the amount of money, I just get paid smaller amounts more often. I feel I DO have a right to say how I should be getting MY money. Because it's just that. MINE. DHS does not pay me. They do not provide any service to me that I require. It is just some political ploy to show how busy they are. When they went before the state to try to aquire more money, they came up with this brilliant plan to separate the child services division from the elderly division. They needed every child support case they could just to show how much money they would need for that side. That is when they decided that every case that goes before a judge becomes mandatory services provided by them. It doesn't matter what the situation is. The judge used to be able to say direct deposit or check directly to the payee. Now it all has to go through DHS. Without regard for who or what the situation is. So not only are my taxes being wasted to provide services for those who don't need it, they are now in charge of my money.

You obviously don't use their services or work there.

Just a note, it isn't your money - it is for the kids. Just saying and I understand your frustration. Honestly, I think child support matters are the most hellish situations possible. In your case, dad is paying, so you're ahead of the game. So many people end up going back to court over and over and over and over - often just to continue to fight. It is hell on earth.

DHS especially Child Support Enforcement is a joke. It needs an overhaul and they are the most backwards organization I have ever dealt with. For instance they don't know if I actually owe back child support and if I do how much but they take state tax returns and they take extra money every check. I've received letters and info from them stating they are going to take my license away for not paying when it has come out of my check automatically from day one. Even at times they were taking double what they were supposed to.

Yes, the money is not yours, it is the kids...

You know for a fact someone is making money off these cards otherwise it wouldn't be done. Since people know it's not the parents or kids making the money...

The card company is probably paying DHS to require child support to be paid using their card. DHS gets more funding, the card company is making money off the parents and the parents are getting screwed. Isn't that how the government is supposed to work?

Yes, the money is not yours, it is the kids...

You know for a fact someone is making money off these cards otherwise it wouldn't be done. Since people know it's not the parents or kids making the money...

The card company is probably paying DHS to require child support to be paid using their card. DHS gets more funding, the card company is making money off the parents and the parents are getting screwed. Isn't that how the government is supposed to work?

I love my son, but when there were times it equated to 75% of my income tell me how I am supposed to live....Tell me how I support my family now if it happened again? Guess how much credit I got? Keep in mind DHS is the same org that has welfare as a whole jacked up for the state.
DHS already makes money collecting child support. They can send the money via direct deposit to your bank account as well - they offer the cards as a convenience.

I have also been told that if I request a review my child support will go up - my son's mother requested one they sent paperwork and nothing happened. My guess was they said oh this will go down you don't want to do that.

Also let's not forget about the people who are paying child support for children who are not even theirs like the guy in Tulsa DHS ruined his future and killed his scholarship to college because of the scandel.

Zombie, you really ought to talk to a lawyer. If you don't understand how child support works, it seems like it's a big enough part of your life that you might want to make yourself a lot more familiar with its mechanics.

I used to represent incarcerated parents as a guardian ad litem in child support matters. That generally just involved charging them about $60.00 a month (the minimum) that they wouldn't have to pay until they got out of jail. Alternatively, the other parent might have been collecting federal benefits (TANF) and the court would assess costs the incarcerated parent. I did NOT represent private clients on child support. I couldn't stomach it.

Where I am going with this is that I was in court a lot and heard a lot of sad/infuriating stories. What never seemed to sink in to so many deadbeats is that if they have a child or two, already, perhaps they need to not continue to populate the world with subsequent significant others. I saw that ALL the time, particularly if they had a child with someone they weren't emotionally connected to - for more than a couple of months, anyway. Oh sure, ask them if they love their child and they insist they do. But for some reason, once they'd gone on to another life/another significant other, they didn't think making them pay for the children they'd already had was "fair." And of COURSE they feel the "right" to have additional children with the love they found after they'd already brought children into the world with someone else. They have a right to be happy, don't they?

I'm sorry, when I see someone complain that they can't afford to support "their family" because so much child support is taken out of their paycheck, I see red. People don't get a "do over" simply because they decided they'd rather build a life with someone besides the other parent of certain children. Have as many kids as they can afford - no matter if they stay with the other parent or not - and STOP. Once someone becomes a parent, personal happiness in terms of a romantic interest needs to take a back seat. My advice to someone who can't pay their child support is to get a second job. Sucks to make rotton decisions but children and the rest of the community shouldn't have to pay the bills of someone who screwed up his/her life.

And a common question asked was, 'Do you smoke?" "How to you pay for that when you claim you can't pay your child support." That used to make them just go nuts, even on the stand. Based on what I heard in court - repeatedly - smoking is apparently a god given right, even if it means the children you left behind go without.

Grrr. Okay, a single person who is doing the best they can and it is just too much - I have sympathy for that. Take for example someone who was assessed child support but who got sick or lost their job through no fault of their own. The remedy is to go ask the court to change the amount assessed. But I have NO sympathy for someone who thinks that just because they started over with someone else that they should be entitled to have MORE children when they can't afford the ones they already have.

Zombie, you really ought to talk to a lawyer. If you don't understand how child support works, it seems like it's a big enough part of your life that you might want to make yourself a lot more familiar with its mechanics.

I'm familiar...as a non custodial father they like to screw you. If I could come 1500 out of pocket up front to start the fight without taking away from my family I'd consider. I have talked to several lawyers about the situation and things that have occurred and if I have enough money they would take the case and fight it but no lawyers work for free.

Yeah I have no doubt that DHS can make money by direct depositing payments. What I am saying is that they can make even more by requiring people like that original poster to use these cards. It's not right and I never said it was. DHS is just being greedy.