I just got a notice in the mail yesterday from CSR stating that they have opened a Visa debit card account in my name that they will be deposting both of my child support checks into.
Now, this isn’t such a bad deal except for the fact that they want to charge me $1.50 everytime I pick the damn card up.
If I used it at an ATM they charge me plus the bank charges me. If I use it as a debit say at Wal-Mart then it’s whatever I purchase plus there $1.50 charge.
If I don’t use it they will charge me $2 after the first year.
I understand that they are trying to save money by not using stamps and printing checks. But IIRC direct deposit isn’t cheap. And to set up and send out cards to everyone who doesn’t already have any kind of account can’t be cheap either.
I already have an account and would rather have the money sent there.
I would much rather have the printed check so that way I know when the money is there.
CSR isn’t always on top of things and sometimes things get messed up and if I go to direct deposit and they have a foul up like they did in Illinois where people didn’t receive their child support for a few months because their system went down. Big time mess. Children weren’t getting their support and parents paying were getting further behind.
So, is there a reason that they can’t set this up to direct deposit into your other account? I’m pretty sure it’s cheaper for them to direct deposit instead of printing and sending checks, but I can’t imagine that they wouldn’t be able to deposit it into an account of your choosing.
[wild-assed guess] What gives them the right to set up an account for you anyway? Credit card companies can’t just set up an account for you unless you sign up. I can’t imagine any person/company/govenment could sign you up for a bank account such as this without your express permission. [/wild-assed guess]
We’re from the government, and we’re here to help you…
Illinois must have straightened things out cause i get my cs direct deposited into my checking account about 3 days after my ex’s payday. been fine since i started getting support 1 yr ago. god love ya abe.
Child Support? Did you say Child Support? What is this crazy concept you Americans speak of? You mean, a father would actually help support children HE NO LONGER LIVED WITH? Well, paint me blue and call me a Smurf!
D_Odds, a child-support paying father, buys a can of blue paint and a brush, then goes to Kalhoun and says, “SMURF!”
I gather at least some states have gotten a lot more involved with the process? As I remember, my dad mailed (or possibly gave, since we lived nearby) the checks. And he was VERY good about getting the money to us, and not only because he would have been in big trouble at work otherwise. (Air Force.)
I don’t see why they can’t put it straight in your bank account. Direct deposit is a major godsend when done right.
I wonder if they do this to find out exactly what you might be purchasing with your child support money?
I bet that’s exactly what they do. What people don’t think about is that even if a woman goes and spends the entire support check on getting her hair done, she is still using her other money to support the kid.
My ex used to bitch and moan and say that he felt he was supporting ME. Yeah, that $75 is financing my whole life.
So they never even bothered to contact you to see if that was what you wanted/needed? You maybe expected coherence and intelligence from a governmental institution?
snicker
Reminds me of the time I had to take a 2nd job to help pay bills. Imagine my surprise when my 2nd paycheck had child support taken out of it. I called the local office and they said that they received word of my new job, so they just continued my support order to my new job.
…they couldn’t explain why they were still getting 100% of my support obligation from my first job, though. They just found me working somewhere and attached my paycheck without doing ANY kind of calling and checking around…like calling my first employer to see if I were still working there, for the love of Pete.
Government agencies…:feh:…
I’m dead meat. I start in two weeks as a Child Support Tech.
Oh well. At least I’m not a telemarketer.
You know Toaster they did that to my husband. He’s a roofer and they were taking out of that check, and in the winter they to out of his partial unemployment even though he was still working enough as a roofer to pay the support, and then well, hell, let’s just take a stab at his National Guard check. Oh, wait, you are filing taxes? Well, let’s take a cut of that as well even though you are not behind.
Yeah, his ex got alot of money from us at the begining of that year.
They did give me a choice to go direct deposit or not and I decided not. I guess that was the wrong answer.
The mess up in Illinois was all over the Y2K thing. They went to upgrade their system and it really messed things up. I live in the Quad Cities which is part of Iowa and Illinois lumped together and had a few people I know effected by this and held my breath waiting for it to happen to me. Iowa lucked out.
My sons father once actually made the statement “nice van, when do I get to drive my van” What a putz!
I don’t think this card deal would be such a bad thing if they didn’t charge you for every time you swipe their little card. I know, they have to make money somehow.
I’m thinking it’s going to give those support payers who don’t like to pay something more to whine about. In a way they would be justified in doing so. I mean first they are being forced to pay and then their children aren’t getting all the money because it’s going to pay other fees.
As a matter of fact I don’t think that my daughters father is going to be too happy over this and he hasn’t missed a payment since she was born. He works hard for his money and I would hate to see it being nickeled and dimes away by charges.
My ex said he wanted a full accounting of how I spent every cent that he gave to me. He said this IN COURT. The judge and both lawyers (mine and his) laughed their asses off.
Well I’ve had full custody of my kids for three years now, still haven’t received a single dime of support. But when my ex had the kids, they couldn’t attach my wages fast enough. Go figure.
Can you take all the cash out and deposit into your own account? For a one-time fee of $1.50?
Excellent idea.
I have child support horror stories too lengthy and numerous to relate here, but I’d be damned if I’d let the state take a cut of what I pay to my ex- for my son.
Fuckers. Fuckers. Fuckers. Fuckers.
Oh, yeah…I hope to God you never happen to lose that card or have it stolen.
Well this is sure edging the whole ‘vascectomy’ debate into positive ground for me…
Just chiming in to point out that direct deposit is better for you than a printed check, in every possible way.
[ul]
[li]Checks get lost in the mail.[/li][li]Checks get stolen out of mailboxes.[/li][li]Checks get put into pants pockets, and then get washed, spun, and dried.[/li][li]Checks have to be carried to the bank before you can use the money. If you’re busy (Single mom? Busy? Nah!) or away, the check just sits there, useless, until you can get it deposited.[/li][li]Checks have to “clear” at the bank before you can use the money.[/li][/ul]
Direct deposits never get lost, never get stolen, and, in my experience, never even get delayed (I’ve been getting paychecks, and now pension checks, direct deposited for decades). The money is available immediately - no waiting for a check to “clear.” And no matter how busy you are, or if you’re away from home, the money still gets into your checking account on time, where you can use it.
AFAIK, almost every bank these days offers free Internet access, so on the day the direct deposit is supposed to “hit,” you can login and check it, just to make sure.
I’m on both sides of the fence as payor and payee, and for the child support I recieve I have always fought for the rights of the fathers. Even the one I don’t get along with.
They work hard for that money and they now have families in their houses to support, and I know that if the children I have with them ever needed anything they would be there reguardless of the weekly support.
As for losing the card or getting it stolen I sure as hell hope not since it’s a $20 charge!
If I can’t get it changed to my account I’m thinking Dolores has the right idea.
Black455, I’m sure you will do just fine. Keep a bottle of asprin and a bottle of tums handy and you will do just fine. 