Child Support Payment Distribution

When a payment is received, it is forwarded to the family within two (2) days unless the money is owed to the County or must be held for some other reason.
 

All collections, except federal tax refund intercepts, are credited to current monthly support (child support first, medical second, and spousal third.)

If there is money remaining after paying current support, it is used to pay arrearages. The money for each arrearage type is first applied to principal and then to interest. The person paying support (PPS)/obligors whose employer pays bi-weekly may incur a small amount of arrears each month if the current support obligation is not fulfilled. This arrears amount is typically made up with the extra paycheck months during the year.

If there is money remaining after all arrearages have been paid, it is credited to be applied for the future month. If the family is aided, the credit amount is held by the child support agency and applied to the case in a future month if a current support payment is not made, otherwise it is paid to the family.

Is there a charge for this service?

Under federal law, the California Department of Child Support Services is required to charge a yearly service fee for certain, non-assisted cases. If the fee applies to you, you will receive an annual service fee assessment notice in October for each case to which the fee applies. The annual fee is $35 on cases that receive payments equal to or more than $550 when assessed in October.

When and where is this service offered?

This service is available throughout the year during regular business hours except during scheduled holidays.

FAQS

There are no monthly fees for managing your funds; but fees may apply to some services. Be sure to read the information in the program materials sent to you with your card or at www.eppicard.com to understand the details of your card.

ATM owners may impose an additional “convenience fee” or a “surcharge fee” for certain ATM transactions. A sign should be posted at the ATM to indicate additional fees.

You have the following options to check your balance:

  • You may check your account balance for free, online by visiting www.eppicard.com
  • You may also check your account balance by calling the EPPIC Customer Service Center at 1-877-777-1617, 24 hours and day, 7 days a week . Your first three (3) calls to customer service are free, but you will be charged a fee of $0.50 for each call after that.
  • You may check your balance at an ATM, but you will be charged a fee of $0.60 each time. If you use an ATM that is not a Wells Fargo Bank ATM, you may be charged additional fees by that bank.
  • You can sign up for low balance alert by calling the EPPIC Customer Service Center at 1-877-777-1617. This allows notifications to be sent to you by email, phone, or text message. Standard text message fees will apply.

Call 1-866-901-3212, select Option 1, then Option 5 and follow the prompts. You will need your Social Security Number and Participant ID Number.

You can sign up for Direct Deposit:

  • Electronically at childsupport.ca.gov/state-disbursement-unit/ - select the “Person Receiving Support” button, then select "Enroll Now”·  You will need your Participant ID and Social Security Number.
  • by calling 1-866-901-3212, then selecting option 1, option 3 and then option 2.

You can sign up for EPC:

  • Electronically at childsupport.ca.gov/state-disbursement-unit/ - select the “Person Receiving Support” button, then select "Enroll Now”·  You will need your Participant ID and Social Security Number.
  • by calling 1-866-901-3212, then selecting option 1, option 3 and then option 2.
Once you enroll in the EPC program, it will take approximately 10-14 business days to receive your card in the mail. As soon as you receive it, call the number on the card to activate it and create a personal identification number (PIN). Disbursements cannot be applied to the card until it is activated. It is recommended you carefully read all information included with your card.

After you have activated your card, the next child support disbursement you receive will be applied to the EPC.

Call 1-866-901-3212 for any questions that you may have regarding child support payments.

There are several reasons you may not receive your full amount of child support:

  • There may have been a change in the income of the parent paying support, due to changes in their work hours, unemployment, or a disability
  • You may have been assessed the Annual Service Fee for unaided private pay case.
  • The parent paying support has more than one child support case and there was a change in distribution. CSS06-24.
No – you have full access to your available balance at any time. Unlike a traditional bank account, your EPC account has no daily purchase or withdrawal limits.

Protect your privacy and identity

The California Department of Child Support Services currently does not utilize smart phone apps for activity related to your California EPC debit card. Using such applications may subject you to scams which try to fraudulently obtain your banking information, including your User ID log-on and password.

If you believe your account has been compromised, please call EPPICard. The number is on the back of your card.

For other ways to protect your personal information and avoid identity theft, visit the California Office of Privacy Protection.  Information is also available at https://www.eppicard.com/

The benefits of receiving child support payments by EPC include:

  • Save time – receiving child support payments by EPC is faster than waiting for a check
  • Convenience – use the EPC for purchases everywhere MasterCard is accepted, point of sale terminals, and to make withdrawals at virtually any ATM 24 hours a day
  • Security – you no longer have to worry about a check being stolen or lost in the mail
  • Cost – eliminate check cashing cost. Some businesses charge as much as 15% of the face value of the check
  • Assistance – account information and customer service through EPPIC Customer Service Center (1-877-777-1617) are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Parties receiving support have three (3) methods to receive their child support payments. These methods include:

  • Direct Deposit – Your payment is automatically deposited into your checking or savings account
  • Electronic Payment Card (EPC) – Similar to an ATM or debit card.  When a payment is received and processed, it is then applied to the EPC
  • Bank check sent to your current mailing address
Once you have successfully enrolled in the EPC program, all child support payments received from multiple California child support cases will be electronically deposited into your single EPC account. There is no need to enroll in the EPC program more than once.
An EPC is a MasterCard branded debit card issued by Wells Fargo Bank that can be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted. You will have access to your payments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can use the Customer Connect website childsupport.ca.gov/customer-connect/ or call 1-866-901-3212 to hear details about all of your child support disbursements.

You may go to www.eppicard.com and select the icon that looks like your card. Once you have entered California’s EPPICard page, click on the ‘Program Materials’ menu option.

You may contact the EPPIC Customer Service Center at 1-877-777-1617, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Both State and Federal law require all child support payments be sent to a single location within each state. In California, the State Disbursement Unit is responsible for the collection and disbursement of all child support payments.