Department of Workforce Development
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| Tuesday, February 9, 1999 Governor Tommy G. Thompson Secretary Linda Stewart | News Media Contact DWD News Office 608/267-4400 e-mail: news@dwd.state.wi.us fax: 608/266-1784 |
Media Advisory:
Here’s are highlights of activities since the Department began operations Jan. 4 of a new centralized child support receipt and payment system (announced Dec. 21, 1998):
- Child support collections statewide totaled $66.5 million in January, the first month of operation of the new system. That collection amount was up $2.4 million, or 3.7 per cent, from the amount collected the same month in 1998.
- The amount of money being temporarily held last month because of case questions or problems declined by $400,000 from the previous month. This meant that many of those case issues were being resolved, and the funds forwarded to recipients more quickly. (The same fund also is used to hold funds that can not be paid out until the end of a month.)
- The Department currently projects it will print 4.6 million checks totaling $875 million -- or more -- in 1999. That total, if achieved, should surpass collections anticipated this year in such larger states as New York and Texas. The Wisconsin projection for 1999 amounts to about $73 million a month being paid out.
- Over 96 per cent of collections are being disbursed within 24 hours of receipt. Collections are being posted and checks are being printed daily.
- The State Administration Department Jan. 3 upgraded the mainframe computer it uses to support the centralized receipt and disbursement system. This has led to a sharp reduction in the number of counties experiencing slow response times when they seek or enter information about individual cases.