OCR Text |
Show ORS reduces poyment processing fee by $ 1 per check about the burden the $7 per month placed on the custodial parent and the family. In response to these comments, ORS is reducing the fee to $2.50, with a maximum of $5 per month. According to John Abbott, director direc-tor of the Office of Recovery Services, Ser-vices, "We are sensitive to the needs of the family, yet caught in a situation where limited state resources and increased demand for services make some type of user fee essential." Federal law and regulations re quire all states to charge an application applica-tion fee and allow states to recover costs of processing child support cases. The Office of Recovery Services (ORS), in response to public comment, com-ment, has revised its recently implemented cost-recovery policy by reducing the payment processing fee from $3.50 per check to $2.50 per check. The custodial parent is required to pay this fee, to a maximum max-imum of $5 per month. ORS will deduct the fee from amounts collected before the support sup-port is forwarded to the custodial parent. Last month, ORS notified the public that beginning May 1, 1992, it would implement a new fee and cost-recovery policy. Under the al new policy, in cases not receiving p public assistance, the custodial th parent is required to pay a $25 ap- c plication fee and $25 fee if ORS tc collects money from the absent parent's federal tax refund. p The custodial parent would have also paid a check processing fee, I previously $3.50, up to a maximum I of $7 per month, to cover the costs I ORS expends in processing child I support payments. I Many of the public's comments I received by ORS through telephone I calls and letters expressed concern I |