3616 Child Support Deduction

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
SNAP Policy Manual

Policy Title:

Child Support Deduction

Effective Date:

May 2024

Chapter:

3600

Policy Number:

3616

Previous Policy Number(s):

MT-75

Updated or Reviewed in MT:

MT-77

Requirements

A child support deduction is allowed when an AU member is legally obligated to pay support for children outside of the AU.

Basic Considerations

Legally obligated child support payments paid by an AU member to or for a non-AU member, including payments made to a third party on behalf of the non-AU member, are allowed as a child support deduction.

Deduct the actual monthly amount of legally obligated child support paid by an AU member to or for an individual who is not a member of the same AU. Allowable payments may include:

  • Cash payments made directly to or for an individual.

  • Support such as the costs of clothing or infant products.

  • Direct payments to a third party in lieu of child support payment.

Verify the:

  • legal obligation to pay child support, and

  • amount legally obligated to pay, and

  • current payment.

The following sources may be used to verify the legal obligation to pay child support:

  • Court order

  • Order issued through an administrative process

  • Divorce or separation documents

  • Verbal confirmation of existing documents from a knowledgeable source, such as the Division of Child Support Services (DCSS), probation officer, court officer or other official source.

Budgeting Child Support Deduction

The following types of sources may be used to verify the amount of actual child support paid during the most current three-month period.

  • Receipts

  • Checks

  • Personal money logs

  • Administrative records

  • Statement from individual paying the support

  • Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) computer matches or records.

To allow past due child support as a deduction, the amount that is past due must be verified and not have been deducted in a previous SNAP budget.

Also verify the legal obligation to pay the past due amount if it was not established by the original child support document.

Alimony is not allowed as a child support deduction.

Verify:

Document the child support deduction as follows:

  • source of verification of the legal obligation to pay child support and the amount legally obligated to pay.

    • source of verification for dates and amounts of actual child support payments for the most current three-month period.

    • budgeting process and amount of child support deduction to be used in current and/or ongoing month’s budgets.