Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Wisconsin Works (W-2) Manual

EXAMPLE:  Marissa applied for W-2 in January 2015 and met with the CSAChild Support Agency as scheduled. Marissa was found eligible for W-2 and placed in a CSJCommunity Service Job. However, Marissa refused to respond to the CSA’s requests to establish the paternity of her child’s father. Marissa’s W-2 case was closed in April 2015 and this was her first instance of noncooperation with child support. In June 2015, Marissa again applied for W-2, attended her appointments with the CSA, agreed to paternity establishment for her child, and was found eligible for W-2. However, while receiving W-2, Marissa refused the CSA’s requests to pursue child support payments from her child’s father without an exemption or a good cause claim. Marissa’s W-2 case was closed in August 2015 and this was her second instance of noncooperation with child support. Marissa applied for W-2 again in September 2015. She agreed to pursue child support payments from her child’s father, and was found eligible for W-2. While receiving W-2, Marissa did not attend the scheduled legal proceedings to establish the child support payments. Marissa’s W-2 case was closed in October 2015 and this was her third instance of noncooperation with child support. Because this was her third instance of failure to cooperate with child support without an exemption or good cause, Marissa was found to be ineligible for W-2 for 6 months due to noncooperation with child support regardless of whether she would choose to cooperate. Marissa would not be able to apply for W-2 again until May 2016 provided she subsequently cooperated with Child Support by participating in the legal hearing to establish the child support payment.