Tips for Gaining Child Support From Earned Income

While Supplemental Security Income is not an option for an individual to collect late child support payments, there are alternative options for Colorado parents. Unlike SSI, which is considered a welfare benefit, earned income from retirement, disability, and survivor benefits are possible areas from which to retrieve money for back child support.

The custodial parent must be able to provide written proof that the other parent is not making payments. The legal guardian can then request that the local Social Security office collect those monetary benefits as compensation. It is also possible to use this paperwork for pending Social Security applications on the non-paying parent.

Once the child support information is received and deemed sufficient, the local Social Security office will start withholding a varied percentage of child support payments. If benefit payments are not made or the non-paying parent cancels those benefits, the garnishment order will stay on file and resume if the non-paying parent continues to avoid payments.

For parents of fully grown children, it will be their responsibility to hire a private attorney to guide them along in the process. Depending on what the state considers the legal age of a child, the cut-off age may differ. If the paperwork was filed when the child was a minor, the legal guardian is still eligible for back child support benefits.

In the case that the parent cannot pay, another alternative would be for the legal guardian to pay $25 to receive state support services. This option may work if the non-paying parent is not collecting any earned income.

Parents may want to seek legal counsel to see if they're eligible for child support payments from earned income. Proper paperwork proving that there have been no payments and suggestions of alternative income may help with filing a child support case.

Tags: child support