News

Illinois ATMs to distribute child support payments

April 15, 2002

CHICAGO -- Beginning Oct. 1, parents and guardians in Illinois will be able to obtain their child-support payments via ATM, which will speed up the wait for their checks to arrive by mail.

According to an article by Sun Publications, the option is part of the state's efforts to centralize its manner for disseminating child-support payments as mandated by the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. Another mandate is that checks must be distributed within 48 hours.

Illinois circuit clerks are offering the ATM option to 150,000 child-support recipients statewide.

A special disbursement unit located in Wheaton will handle distribution of the support payments, according to the article. This will help streamline checks mailed by corporations that withhold support money from individuals' payroll. Previously, they had to mail separate checks to various clerks' offices throughout the state instead of to one disbursement unit, like the one set up in Wheaton.

Circuit clerk officials are pitching the quickness in utilizing the ATMs to receive the payments.