Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is eligible to receive child support services?
A: You are eligible for services if you are a resident of Columbiana County and/or have an order in Columbiana County. For services other than collection and distribution, you must complete a IV-D application. All services are available at no cost.
Those who are on public assistance such as Medicaid or OWF and are receiving cash assistance are required to cooperate with CSEA in efforts to establish and enforce a child support obligation. While on cash assistance, support payments are submitted to the State of Ohio.
Q: What does IV-D stand for?
A: “IV-D” stands for the section of the Federal Law under the Social Security Act that created the Child Support Enforcement Program.
Q: What is the processing fee?
A: A 2% fee charged on payments made through the CSEA. The fee is established by state law.
Q: What is the role of the CSEA Attorney?
A: The role of the Child Support Attorney is to represent the records of Child Support Enforcement Agency for the State of Ohio. The attorney does not provide legal representation to either party. The custodial parent and absent parent both have the right to obtain their own private legal counsel.
Q: What if I have a Columbiana County child support order and I move out of the county?
A: Columbiana County will continue to assist you. You are responsible to report change of address or any other types of changes either by submitting this change in writing or calling into the agency. The child support court order requires that both parties are to keep the court and CSEA informed of changes that occur which include address changes.
Q: If I change my address with the Postal Service do I still need to contact child support?
A: Yes, submitting a change of address with the Postal Service does not automatically change your address with CSEA. You will still need to contact CSEA with your address and phone information.
Q: Can I find out if I received a payment by calling into the CSEA?
A: No, CSEA does not give payment information over the telephone for confidential and security purposes. The person seeking this information can call the CSEA Automated Payment Line at (800) 860 – 2555. For security purposes, you will set up a password and enter this password each time you call. This insures that the information is only given to the parties involved. The payment line will tell you the date and amount of the payment that has been received.
If you have the child support payment card, you can call toll-free 1-800-503-1283 to access payment information, or for other customer service options such as replacing a lost card.
Q: How is the amount I receive determined when a payment is received?
A: Depending on how the payor is paid, the payments are divided by the amount of pays they receive per year. This amount can sometimes be less than the monthly child support amount for there are 26 pays annually for those who are paid bi-weekly (not 24 or twice per month) and 52 pays annually for those who are paid weekly (not 48 or four per month.) This “extra” pay, twice per year for bi-weekly and about every fourth month for weekly payments, will pay any child support due and also pay administrative fees due, therefore the payment to you is usually less than the received payment amount. The most common reason a payment to you may be less than the received payment is that fees might be paid from the last payment received in the month.
Q: Can I make a payment in the Columbiana County CSEA?
A: This agency does not take direct payments. Payments should be sent into Child Support Payment Central (CSPC) by either check or money order to:
OCSPC
PO Box 182372
Columbus, OH 43218
Be sure to include the following information:
· Case Number (CSEA SETS number)
· Order Number ( Court Number)
· Social Security Number
This ensures that the payment will be applied to the proper child support case.
(If a payment is received locally, it is immediately sent to Ohio CSPC for processing.)