News and updates
Child support payment changes ahead
If you receive cash assistance, you may see an increase in your child support payments beginning in January. This is due to a policy change which is a continuation of efforts by the Office of Child Support (OCS) and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to put more dollars in the pockets of Michiganders who receive both child support and cash assistance through the Family Independence Program.
Families receiving cash assistance will get the increased payments only if the parent who owes child support pays it in the month it is due. Court-ordered medical support payments will not be passed through to cash assistance recipients who are Medicaid beneficiaries and will continue to be paid to the state to offset Medicaid expenses.
These changes to child support payments begin in January 2023. Cash assistance clients who have received a child support payment in the past six months will receive a letter notifying them of the change
Questions and answers about these changes can be found on our website by clicking here.
Federal tax offset collections
Michigan collected almost $100 million from federal tax returns from people who are behind in their payments in 2022. For many families, this may be the only child support they receive in a year. Earlier this year, OCS was notified by our federal partners that widespread fraud was taking place in filing tax returns which affected child support payments. As a result, OCS was advised to hold many child support payments for six months until the IRS could confirm if the return was a result of fraud. If you are expecting a child support payment from the payer’s tax return and haven’t received it yet, it is likely caught up in this fraud investigation process. OCS will release it just as soon as permitted by the IRS to do so.
 
Since February 2021, Michigan's Office of Child Support (OCS) has hosted a Community Advisory Council that it formed to help make sure the office is fair and works for everyone. Creation of this council is a part of OCS’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Even the most thoughtful policy can have unintended consequences. OCS needs parents and caregivers who both receive and pay child support to help make Michigan’s Child Support Program even better. Participation on the Council offers an opportunity to review and give feedback on policy.
Current council members come from a wide range of backgrounds, spanning race/ethnicity, gender, age, education, LGBTQ, yearly income, geography and military service. Members also possess life experiences relevant to the Council’s work. All but one are either a child support payer or recipient. Members have voiced special interest in areas including veterans, fatherhood, special needs children, domestic violence and accessibility/disability issues.
Highlights/accomplishments for the first year
- An improved process for handling child support program complaints.
- Based on feedback, OCS is changing what it calls those it serves - "case members, program participants, parents and caregivers" instead of "customers" or other terms.
- Changes to ensure the Council is aware of OCS's projects and has an opportunity to give feedback.
- The Council proposed that OCS create an advocate team to help participants work through the complexities of the child support program.
To read more about diversity, equity and inclusion at OCS, visit this page.
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