Public Assistance

A public assistance case is any case that an obligee:

• Receives or received cash assistance
• Receives or received Medicaid
• Owes maternity expenses or past care

An obligee on public assistance:

• Must cooperate with the OCSS in establishing paternity and a support order.
• Cannot receive both cash assistance and child support at the same time.
• Assigns current support to the state while on cash assistance.
• Assigns arrears to the state while on cash assistance.
• Assigns current cash medical support to the state while on Medicaid.     
• Assigns cash medical arrears to the state while on Medicaid.   

Activities that are considered non-cooperation and may lead to the public assistance being sanctioned include:

• Not appearing at interviews, hearings, or legal proceedings.
• Not providing information regarding the identity of the child's non-custodial parent(s), including name, social security number, and current address, and not completing a lack of information statement.
• Not submitting to or not having the child submit to genetic testing.
• Not completing and returning all forms.
• Not providing any additional information to establish paternity or an order and enforce an order.

The State will collect and keep all funds received while the obligee is on cash public assistance and/or Medicaid. Any IRS tax offsets intercepted will first apply to money owed to the state.