Opinion

State Treasurer's office handles all child support payments

Friday, June 18, 2010

One of several facets of the State Treasurer's Office is the Nebraska State Disbursement Unit, which handles the collection and disbursement of all child support payments made throughout the state. Each month, nearly 23 million dollars is processed through our department and disbursed to custodial parents and primary caregivers. We have taken great strides to streamline our efforts, and to reach new levels of efficiency.

Accordingly, we have started emailing billing statements. In 2009, some 63% of all Child Support payments made in Nebraska were done electronically. This places Nebraska's electronic Child Support Collection numbers in the Top 5 throughout the country. We also find ourselves in the nation's Top Five for electronic Child Support Disbursement. In 2009, we distributed over $270 million in Child Support throughout the state, and an exceptional 95% of that disbursement was done electronically.

We currently utilize electronic payment disbursement, electronic payment remittance, and electronic billing statements. There are many benefits to such a transition: For one thing, these transactions are more cost efficient than their paper alternative. In fact, we find it nearly three times cheaper to process an electronic payment than a paper check. It saves time; individuals receive their payments much faster through the internet, as does the State of Nebraska. Time is saved through direct deposit, given that no trip to the bank to cash or deposit a check is necessary. Risk is greatly reduced. Checks can be lost, stolen or deposited into the wrong account. With electronic payments, accuracy and safety are more of a certainty.

We have practiced streamlining by creating an Employer Outreach Team. This team is responsible for contacting employers on the behalf of the NCSPC and encouraging them to remit all of their child support payments electronically. We began by promoting electronic efficiency with road shows in 2004, and have since put on joint seminars with Health and Human Services. Our goal is to hold each other accountable in maintaining high levels of efficiency.

The Nebraska Child Support Disbursement Unit is an ideal example of how government can be appropriately streamlined. Electronic billing saves money, time, and is highly proficient. Through the use of innovative technology, we are becoming a more efficient office, and thus, a more accountable office.

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