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 MT 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.