How to Pay Off Child Support Debt in New York
New York City’s Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) allows parents (not custodians) who owe ongoing child support payments to the New York Department of Social Services (DSS) to pay the debt in half faster.
Child support delinquency to DSS is when a child receives Cash Assistance and the parent (not the custodian) does not make court-ordered payments. The amount owed to DSS averages $4,822 per case.
More than 4,000 parents have already participated in the Pay It Off (PIO) program. From March 1 to March 15, 2024, you must make a minimum payment of $500 and sign and submit the PIO Program Agreement. OCSS will then double your payment, reducing the debt by the same amount (up to the remaining balance).
Step 1. Sign the agreement
From March 1 to March 15, email, mail, or bring in person a completed and signed agreement and a copy of your photo ID. To obtain a loan, a separate agreement is required for each case.
Send an email to: [email protected]. In the Subject field, enter Pay It Off. Please include your full name and case number (for example, AB12345X1) or your date of birth.
Bring it in person to: OCSS Customer Service Walk-In Center, 151 West Broadway, 4th Floor. Schedule: from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00 (except weekends and holidays).
On the subject: Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers will have medical debt written off
Step 2: Make your payment(s)
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Make a payment of $500 or more to the PIO program between March 1 and March 15. Payment must be received no later than March 15, 2024 to qualify for the credit.
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PIO payment must be made upon completion of the agreement. When submitting the agreement, please specifically indicate when and how payment will be made.
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If you have several cases, make payments for each case separately.
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Payments should be made to the NYS Child Support Processing Center.
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In the purpose of payment, indicate the case number for collecting child support and the name of the Pay It Off program (pay off the debt).
Step 3: Double your eligible payments
OCSS will send you a summary of the actions taken within 4-5 weeks of receiving the agreement and payment(s).
Step 4: Reduce Your Debt Even More
Enroll in the Arrears Credit Program (ACP). Apply for ACP between March 1 and March 15, 2024 and be eligible for a one-time reduction of up to $2,500 in NYC DSS debt.
Pay your monthly court-ordered child support obligation in full for a year and receive up to $5,000 of your NYC DSS debt forgiven at the end of 12 months. By staying in the program for three years, you have a chance to reduce your NYC DSS debt by up to $15,000. For more information, visit nyc.gov/ocss-debt-reduction.
If you repay the principal amount of your court ordered child support to NYC DSS, your interest will be written off.
