Getting child support when you get cash benefits

Assigned child support

When signing up for cash benefits from the aid/benefit programs, you "assign" (sign over) your rights to child support as a condition of receiving the cash benefits. Federal rules control how much child support may be passed through to families that receive cash benefits.

Wisconsin uses some of the assigned child support to pay back the federal government for your cash benefits. The Kinship Care program has different rules than the other cash benefit programs.

W-2, SSI Caretaker Supplement, & Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (if the child support case is with a county agency)

If you get cash benefits, you will get part of the child support that the other parent pays. You will get all your cash benefits from the aid/benefit program.

You will get part of your child support if you are now getting cash benefits from the:

• SSI Caretaker Supplement program
• W-2 Community Service Job
• W-2 Transitional Placement
• W-2 Custodial Parent of an Infant program, and you received cash benefits in the past (from the AFDC, W-2, or Caretaker Supplement programs)
• Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program if you have a case with a county child support agency

Not all W-2 programs have cash benefits. You get all your child support if you:

• Work in a W-2 Trial Job
• Get help paying for child care (Wisconsin Shares program)
• Get W-2 Case Management Services
• Get Emergency Assistance
• Are in the W-2 Custodial Parent of an Infant program, but you never received cash benefits in the past

What this means to you?

• You will get all your cash benefits from the aid/benefit program.
• You will get about 42% of the child support paid.

Example of how much support you will get:

Kinship Care cases

If you are in Kinship Care, all support is assigned (signed over) to the state. A Life of Case review is done at the end of each month. The Life of Case review compares the total amount of all support paid to the total amount of Kinship Care grants. If “over the life” of your Kinship Care case, the support payments add up to more than the Kinship Care you got, you will get the difference.

Example:

• You started in Kinship Care on June 1.
• In June, you get a $215 Kinship Care grant. Support paid was $200.
• At the end of June, the Life of Case review shows that the support paid ($200) was less than the Kinship Care grant ($215). You will not get any child support.
• In July, you get a $215 Kinship Care grant and $300 of child support is paid.
• At the end of July, the Life of Case review compares the June and July totals: the amount of support paid ($500) and the Kinship Care grants ($430) – a difference of $70. You will get the $70 (along with the $215 Kinship Care grant).

Go to questions about getting child support when getting cash benefits
Go back to the Child Support & Aid/Benefit programs page