• Expert Pay
• EFT Overview
• How to Use EFT
• Employer Payment Template
• Frequently Asked Questions

ExpertPay^SM

Electronic payment is a safe and efficient way to remit child support payments for your employees. You will find that electronic submissions-either by website or EFT-ensure that support payments withheld from your employee's wages are processed in a timely and accurate manner. ExpertPay Website - You can remit payments electronically through www.expertpay.com, a secure system available now.

With ExpertPay there is:

• No technology investment and no special software -All you need is Internet access, a Web browser, and a one-time data entry setup.
• No elaborate financial arrangement -Just fill out the authorization form that allows ILSDU to debit your bank account when you submit the electronic list for payment
• No need to re-enter employee data each payroll period -Simply verify and/or update the information and authorize payment
• A user manual with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions.
• No fee for any Illinois employer using Expert Pay to remit the ILSDU.

The Illinois State Disbursement Unit (ILSDU) will accept payments in either CCD+ or CTX format. Simply contact Employer Support at (888) 704-0683 and speak with an employer outreach assistant, who will answer your questions and provide the information you need.

Benefits of Electronic Payment Through ExpertPay

• Accuracy-Before you submit electronic payments, ILSDU verifies employer and employee data to ensure that payments are properly identified. Thereafter, employee information is merely confirmed during each payroll cycle, not re-entered, which eliminates costly mistakes.
• Economy-Electronic payments save staff time. There are no checks to print. No labels. No envelopes. No postage.
• Convenience-Electronic payment requires only one transaction per pay period-whether by EFT/EDI or ExpertPay. Just review your last submission and update the information as necessary.
• Security-Good fiscal practice: One person at your company can confirm employee information, and another person can authorize the payment transaction.

Electronic payment remittance increases overall efficiency and accuracy while significantly reducing paperwork and postage costs, and eliminating mail time.

Where Do I Sign Up?

Call Employer Support today at (888) 704-0683 to speak with an outreach assistant.

REMEMBER If you have 250 or more employees, or your
company withheld child support from 10 or
more employees last December, you must use
EFT to make payments to the SDU

Return to top of page

EFT Overview

Overview

The Illinois State Disbursement Unit (ILSDU) provides employers the option to submit support payments electronically through the banking network known as the Automated Clearing House (ACH). If you offer employees the option to have their pay directly deposited into their bank accounts, you are already participating in the ACH. Making support payments electronically is a similar process.

Advantages

• EFT provides assurance that support payments are received by the Illinois State Disbursement Unit and distributed to families accurately and efficiently.
• EFT provides security, eliminates delayed, lost and stolen checks.
• The use of EFT reduces the need for mail opening and data entry staff, thereby reducing the time for payment processing.

Return to top of page    

How to Use EFT

Submitting Payments to the Illinois State Disbursement Unit

1. Obtain the data necessary to identify each support payment submitted. This information includes employee name, social security number, child support case number, amount withheld and the date of withholding.
2. Convert the data into a standard ACH format. This requires a fairly detailed knowledge of ACH. If you employ a payroll service they may be able to provide this service. Your bank may also be able to provide this service. Software packages are available to generate ACH files.
3. Submit the ACH file into the ACH network. Only a financial institution may submit files into the ACH network. Most, but not all, financial institutions are capable of performing this activity known as originating ACH transactions. You will need to provide data to your financial institution in a standard ACH format or some other agreed upon format.

Where to Start

If you utilize a payroll service, ask them if they can submit your child support withholdings through the ACH. Otherwise, contact your bank and ask to speak to someone about ACH origination. Tell them you are interested in originating ACH credits in a CCD+ or CTX format. Let them know that you wish to employ the ACH convention for submitting child support payments. If they aren't familiar with this convention, they can obtain a copy of a booklet developed by the Bankers EDI Council titled Child Support Application Banking Convention: A guide for Child Support Enforcement Entities & Their Financial Institutions. This publication is available through the National Automated Clearing House Associations (NACHA).

The ACH Convention for Child Support Withholding

A standard ACH file includes numerous record types (file header, company/batch header, entry detail, addenda, company/batch control, file control) and is reasonably complex. However, it is fairly simple for someone familiar with the ACH files to understand the child support convention. The entry detail record constitutes the financial transaction. The addenda record provides details about each child support payment. The CCD+ format includes an addenda record for each entry detail record. The CTX format includes one or many addenda records for each entry detail record. The child support convention provides a very specific format for the data within the addenda record, i.e., the data used to provide credit for child support payments.

Steps to Follow

If you are interested in EFT, please contact the Employer EFT Coordinator at the Illinois State Disbursement Unit. A prenote is suggested to test the movement of information through the ACH used by your bank to verify format, content and transfer process.

Resources Available

For general information and information about participation in this program contact the Illinois State Disbursement Unit at 1-888-704-0683. Ask to be connected to the Employer EFT Coordinator. See the following list for further resources.

For information about ACH

• Contact your local financial institution.
• Contact your regional association of the National Automated Clearing House Association.
• Contact the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) at (703) 561-1100 or visit their web site at https://www.nacha.org.
• Attend a class. Regional clearing house associations provide periodic training sessions to promote the use of ACH.
• Obtain a copy of the Electronic Payments Review & Buyers Guide published by NACHA.
• Contact a treasury management association such as the American Payroll Association.

For assistance interpreting the format of the child support addenda record

• Contact the Illinois State Disbursement Unit at 1-888-704-0683. Ask to be connected to the Employer EFT Coordinator, or email us at illinois.sdu@conduent.com.

For information about ACH origination software

• Contact your local financial institution.
• Contact your regional ACH association.
• Contact NACHA.
• Search the internet.

Please contact the Employer EFT Coordinator at the Illinois State Disbursement Unit, 1-888-704-0683, prior to submitting your first electronic payments.

Return to top of page

Employer Payment Template

The Employer Payment Template is an EXCEL spreadsheet used to enter employee information. Complete the form, print it, and return it with your check when sending information about employee withholdings to the Illinois State Disbursement Unit. Employers will send only one check with their completed form to the Illinois State Disbursement Unit. This template also includes a key to County Codes, which you will need to fill out the form. Employer Payment Template [html version]. In order for us to process your payment quickly and efficiently, you MUST supply the following information for each employee for which you are making a payment:

• Name
• Social Security Number
• Docket Number
• Issuing County
• Amount

Return to top of page

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Illinois State Disbursement Unit?

The Illinois State Disbursement Unit, located in Carol Stream, Illinois, is the payment processing center for all Illinois child support, maintenance and support related payments. All payroll deductions are collected and disbursed by the Illinois State Disbursement Unit.

What are centralized collections?

Each state child support enforcement agency is required to have a centralized, computerized unit for the collection and disbursement of child support. The Illinois State Disbursement Unit receives and disburses support collections for the State of Illinois.

What is Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)?

EFT electronically transfers monies from your bank account to the Illinois State Disbursement Unit bank account. The payment identification information is transmitted via an Electronic Data Interface (EDI) following the NACHA formats. The Illinois State Disbursement Unit can accept employer remittance for income withholding either as a Cash Concentration and Disbursement (CCD+) or Corporate Trade Exchange (CTX) formatted file.

How do I enroll in EFT?

For general and participation information or to enroll in EFT/EDI:

How do I receive an Employer Payment Template?

The Employer Payment Template is on the web site and may be downloaded free of charge for you to complete and send with your check. It is no longer necessary to send a separate check for each employee. Employer Payment Template. [ html version].

Do I send all child support maintenance and support related money to the Illinois State Disbursement Unit?

No. If the order received directs you to send the support payments directly to another state, please send payments as directed.

Who can I contact for more information or assistance?

Employers should call the Illinois State Disbursement Unit at 1-877-664-5738. Customer Service Representatives are available to answer your questions Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday 9:00 a.m. to noon Central Time, except for holidays.

Where should employers mail their payments?

Payments should be mailed to:



Return to top of page