Some parents not receiving payments from S.C.’s new child support system

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Months after the state rolled out its new centralized child support system in the Lowcountry, some parents are complaining about issues with their payments.

South Carolina’s new child support system has battled delays for decades but is finally operational statewide.

The Palmetto State is the last in the country to transition to an automated and centralized child support enforcement system, and it’s taken more than 30 years to get to this point.

In 1988, the federal government required all states to upgrade the way they handled child support enforcement, and the states were given almost 10 years to make that happen.

However, it never did in South Carolina.

Since then, the state has accrued millions of dollars in fines on top of millions more in project costs.

For many, this new system has been a long time coming, and officials say it will benefit parents by making it easier to find deadbeat parents, to collect the money they owe, and connect South Carolina's enforcement to other state systems.

However, Aisha Mitchell said her family’s experience with the new system hasn’t been so successful.

Mitchell said her child’s father has been making payments, but she hasn’t been receiving them.

She has also grown frustrated because she has been having a hard time getting answers as to what is wrong.

Child support officials said, back in July, some parents may have felt hiccups with the transition, but for Mitchell, it’s her children who are feeling the biggest impacts.

“It’s very hard and frustrating even with school coming back in,” Mithcell said. “I wasn’t able to get everything that they need. And their father can’t really help because he’s actually paying, but we are not receiving the funds. And it’s basically, turning the cheek, we don’t know, new system, deal with it.”

Child Support officials are suggesting you call the state disbursement unit if you’re having any issues.

The number for that unit is 1-800-768-5858.

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