Pennsylvania Support Collection & Disbursement Unit (SCDU)
What is SCDU?
Beeginning August 1, 1999, the McKean County Domestic Relations Section (DRS) no longer collects support payments or issue support checks. Instead, the Pennsylvania State Collection and Disbursement Unit (PA SCDU), located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, receives and sends out child support payments. Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare operates PA SCDU.
Receiving Child Support
There are two ways to receive child support payments, the EPPICard Debit MasterCard Card or direct deposit into a personal bank account. You must contact PA SCDU to set up direct deposit into your checking or savings account. If you do not choose direct deposit, an EPPICard will be issued to you.
To request a direct deposit form, please call the McKean County Domestic Relations Office during business hours at 814-887-3366, or log onto the child support website: www.childsupport.state.pa.us.
If you change your address, your job, or if you get married, the law requires each parent to tell the Domestic Relations Section (DRS) within seven (7) days of said change. This will insure that you will continue to receive any updated information regarding your support payments and your support case. You can update your information by calling our office at (814) 887-3366, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or through the internet at www.childsupport.state.pa.us.
If you have questions about your case that are not related to your support payments, you must contact McKean County Domestic Relations.
Paying Child Support
Most child support is paid by income withholding as ordered by the court and maintained in the Pennsylvania Child Support Enforcement System (PACSES), which is the state’s child support computer. If your employer gets a court order, the employer will take child support out of your pay and send it to PA SCDU. Support can also be taken from you unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, Social Security, and retirement and pension benefits.
If an income withholding order cannot be issued (i.e. you are self-employed or a sub-contractor), you will be responsible for submitting payments to PA SCDU. PA SCDU sends payment coupons to parents ordered to pay support and who do not have income withholding. You must write on the coupon the amount of money you are paying. Make your personal check, cashier’s check, or money order payable to PA SCDU.A coupon should be sent with every payment to PA SCDU.However, if you do not have a payment coupon, write your PACSES member number, which is found on your court order, or Social Security Number (SSN) on your check or money order and:
If you live in Pennsylvania, send payments to:
PA SCDU
PO Box 69110
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9110
If you live outside Pennsylvania, send payments to:
PA SCDU
PO Box 61167
Harrisburg, PA 17106-1167
PA SCDU cannot accept checks that are considered non-negotiable by banking standards. Some examples of non-negotiable items are: checks that are not stale dated, post dated, not signed; checks that are not payable to PA SCDU; the amount in numbers does not match the written amount. PA SCDU also does not accept temporary checks or starter checks.
Payments can also be made by:
Both numbers are toll-free nationwide. You can access your payment information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To speak with customer service staff, call between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you have questions about your case that are not related to your support payment, contact the McKean County Domestic Relations Section at (814) 887-3366,Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you move or change jobs, the law requires that within (7) days of any changes, you must report this to the McKean County Domestic Relations Section.This can be done either in writing or by calling our office.
Beeginning August 1, 1999, the McKean County Domestic Relations Section (DRS) no longer collects support payments or issue support checks. Instead, the Pennsylvania State Collection and Disbursement Unit (PA SCDU), located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, receives and sends out child support payments. Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare operates PA SCDU.
Receiving Child Support
There are two ways to receive child support payments, the EPPICard Debit MasterCard Card or direct deposit into a personal bank account. You must contact PA SCDU to set up direct deposit into your checking or savings account. If you do not choose direct deposit, an EPPICard will be issued to you.
To request a direct deposit form, please call the McKean County Domestic Relations Office during business hours at 814-887-3366, or log onto the child support website: www.childsupport.state.pa.us.
If you change your address, your job, or if you get married, the law requires each parent to tell the Domestic Relations Section (DRS) within seven (7) days of said change. This will insure that you will continue to receive any updated information regarding your support payments and your support case. You can update your information by calling our office at (814) 887-3366, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or through the internet at www.childsupport.state.pa.us.
If you have questions about your case that are not related to your support payments, you must contact McKean County Domestic Relations.
Paying Child Support
Most child support is paid by income withholding as ordered by the court and maintained in the Pennsylvania Child Support Enforcement System (PACSES), which is the state’s child support computer. If your employer gets a court order, the employer will take child support out of your pay and send it to PA SCDU. Support can also be taken from you unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, Social Security, and retirement and pension benefits.
If an income withholding order cannot be issued (i.e. you are self-employed or a sub-contractor), you will be responsible for submitting payments to PA SCDU. PA SCDU sends payment coupons to parents ordered to pay support and who do not have income withholding. You must write on the coupon the amount of money you are paying. Make your personal check, cashier’s check, or money order payable to PA SCDU.A coupon should be sent with every payment to PA SCDU.However, if you do not have a payment coupon, write your PACSES member number, which is found on your court order, or Social Security Number (SSN) on your check or money order and:
If you live in Pennsylvania, send payments to:
PA SCDU
PO Box 69110
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9110
If you live outside Pennsylvania, send payments to:
PA SCDU
PO Box 61167
Harrisburg, PA 17106-1167
PA SCDU cannot accept checks that are considered non-negotiable by banking standards. Some examples of non-negotiable items are: checks that are not stale dated, post dated, not signed; checks that are not payable to PA SCDU; the amount in numbers does not match the written amount. PA SCDU also does not accept temporary checks or starter checks.
Payments can also be made by:
- Telephone: You can make a payment electronically from you checking or savings account. Contact the PA SCDU Customer Service Unit at 1-877-727-7238 for instructions.
- Recurring Automatic Withdrawals: You can choose to have your support payments taken electronically from you checking or savings account. This is called recurring automatic withdrawal. Call PA SCDU at 1-877-727-7238 if you would like to set up recurring automatic withdrawal.
- Credit/Debit Card: PA SCDU accepts Visa or MasterCard. You can pay by telephone with your credit/debit card by calling PA SCDU toll free at 1-800-955-2305. Because you will not be able to set up your account to automatically charge your credit card, you must call PA SCDU every time you wish to make a credit/debit card payment. Credit card payments may also be made online at www.e-childspay.com.
- Western Union: Western Union has 50,000 locations in the United States. The payment process to be used at a Western Union location is called Prepaid. Support payments for a Pennsylvania case may be made online at childsupport.speedpay.com/PA by using Speedpay.
Both numbers are toll-free nationwide. You can access your payment information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To speak with customer service staff, call between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you have questions about your case that are not related to your support payment, contact the McKean County Domestic Relations Section at (814) 887-3366,Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you move or change jobs, the law requires that within (7) days of any changes, you must report this to the McKean County Domestic Relations Section.This can be done either in writing or by calling our office.
General "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ's) for Employers
- CDU (Statewide Collection and Disbursement Unit) is the single statewide unit for the collection and disbursement of child and spousal support.
- Employers will send support wage attachment payments to SCDU, instead of to individual County Domestic Relations Sections.
PA SCDU
PO Box 69112
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9112
PO Box 69112
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9112
- For employers with less than 20 employees: SCDU will mail bills and coupons in the month prior to the due date. Coupons will also be available through the SCDU website starting 10-2-99.
- Employers should use these coupons when remitting payments to SCDU.
- Large employers will provide their own listing of employees and payment amounts.
Starting 8-2-99, employers can call SCDU's Toll Free Employer Customer Service number 877-676-9580 (Customer Service TDD 877-676-9582).
Employers should submit payment using one of the following forms:
- check
- money order
- EFT
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
EFT processes employer payments by directly transferring funds from the employer's bank account to SCDU's account at First Union National Bank. Because the transfer is electronic, there is no need to write a check. Since EFT also transmits all employee data, there is no need to mail any paperwork.
Standard EFT Formats
The accepted file formats for EFT payments are Cash Concentration and Disbursement (CCD+) and Corporate Trade Exchange (CTX).
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
EDI is an easy way for employers, especially large ones, to submit payments to SCDU for employees with income withholding orders. This procedure allows employers to send employee data in an electronic form, together with a check for the total amount.Because EDI stores information from previous transmissions, an employer with a stable workforce need only change the withholding dates at time of transmission.
To order your Free EDI software
Major changes in Child Support Payment Processing
Major changes to how child support payments are collected and disbursed in Pennsylvania will soon take place. The Federal welfare reform law requires all states to establish a single location for the collection and disbursement of support related payments. Pennsylvania’s centralized State Collection and Disbursement Unit (SCDU) is located in Harrisburg.
Beginning on September 1, employers who are currently mailing wage attachment payments for employees to different county domestic relations offices will no longer send payments to these offices. Instead, wage attachment payments must be mailed to SCDU. If you have more than one employee with a wage attachment, simply combine each of their payments into one check and send the entire amount to SCDU.
Employers who have 20 or fewer wage attached employees will receive a monthly bill and coupons, beginning in August 1999 for payments due in September 1999. Employers with more than 20 wage-attached employees should send a list identifying each employee, member ID, and the amount withheld with the single payment. Payments must be made by check, money order, or electronic funds transfer.
Checks or money orders should be made payable to: PA SCDU. All payments must be mailed to the SCDU at this address beginning on September 1,1999:
PA SCDU
PO Box 69112
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9112
For more information on the new payment procedures, please attend one of the employer seminars, which are being held across the state in July and August. A list of seminar locations is included with this packet. After August 2, 1999, you can call the SCDU customer service center at 1-877-676-9580.
Please Note: All Support services related to address changes, order modifications, and case management remain the responsibility of the County Domestic Relations Section.
Information is available at www.pachildsupport.com
EFT processes employer payments by directly transferring funds from the employer's bank account to SCDU's account at First Union National Bank. Because the transfer is electronic, there is no need to write a check. Since EFT also transmits all employee data, there is no need to mail any paperwork.
Standard EFT Formats
The accepted file formats for EFT payments are Cash Concentration and Disbursement (CCD+) and Corporate Trade Exchange (CTX).
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
EDI is an easy way for employers, especially large ones, to submit payments to SCDU for employees with income withholding orders. This procedure allows employers to send employee data in an electronic form, together with a check for the total amount.Because EDI stores information from previous transmissions, an employer with a stable workforce need only change the withholding dates at time of transmission.
To order your Free EDI software
- Call 877-676-9580, or
- Order the software from the SCDU website at www.pachildsupport.com.
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Department of Public Welfare
Major changes in Child Support Payment Processing
Major changes to how child support payments are collected and disbursed in Pennsylvania will soon take place. The Federal welfare reform law requires all states to establish a single location for the collection and disbursement of support related payments. Pennsylvania’s centralized State Collection and Disbursement Unit (SCDU) is located in Harrisburg.
Beginning on September 1, employers who are currently mailing wage attachment payments for employees to different county domestic relations offices will no longer send payments to these offices. Instead, wage attachment payments must be mailed to SCDU. If you have more than one employee with a wage attachment, simply combine each of their payments into one check and send the entire amount to SCDU.
Employers who have 20 or fewer wage attached employees will receive a monthly bill and coupons, beginning in August 1999 for payments due in September 1999. Employers with more than 20 wage-attached employees should send a list identifying each employee, member ID, and the amount withheld with the single payment. Payments must be made by check, money order, or electronic funds transfer.
Checks or money orders should be made payable to: PA SCDU. All payments must be mailed to the SCDU at this address beginning on September 1,1999:
PA SCDU
PO Box 69112
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9112
For more information on the new payment procedures, please attend one of the employer seminars, which are being held across the state in July and August. A list of seminar locations is included with this packet. After August 2, 1999, you can call the SCDU customer service center at 1-877-676-9580.
Please Note: All Support services related to address changes, order modifications, and case management remain the responsibility of the County Domestic Relations Section.
Information is available at www.pachildsupport.com
EPPICARD Information
The EPPICard is the new way to receive your child support payments. The EPPICard is safer and more convenient than cash or checks. The EPPICard is a type of debit card.
Your support payments are sent electronically to an account that has been set up only for your child support payments.When payments are sent electronically, you get them more quickly and safely.You cannot make your own deposits into your EPPICard account.You will need to select a Personal Identification Number, also known as a PIN, to activate your EPPICard.
1-800-304-1669 is the number to call for anything related to your Pennsylvania EPPICard.Write that number down in your telephone book.It is also printed on the back of your Pennsylvania EPPICard.If you are calling from a location outside of the US please call 1-801-933-8542 collect.
Simply call the EPPICard Customer Service line at 800-304-1669 to activate the card. This phone number is on the back of your new card. You will be asked to choose a PIN to activate your card. After this phone call is completed your card will be ready to use to make purchases or to withdraw cash.
Anytime you need any information about your Pennsylvania EPPICard.This number is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Call Customer Service if you need to:
- Report lost or stolen cards
- Check you balance
- Change your PIN
- Review transaction history
- Register a complaint about a card issue
- Ask questions about card use
- Discuss international card use
- Report that your card was not received in the mail
Look for the MasterCard® logo. This logo shows that the store accepts your EPPICard™ MasterCard. To get cash, look for the MasterCard logo, which will be displayed on over 892,000 ATMs located throughout the world. Many retailers that accept Maestro, in addition to grocery stores, will let you get cash back with purchases. Certain businesses place a hold on your available funds until your transaction clears. This can take one or two days for the funds to be released. Hotels and car rental agencies do this because when you use your card with them the transaction may not be finalized by you until days later.
No, you do not have to use the ATM. You can get cash back at any bank displaying the MasterCard logo. Go to the teller and ask for the desired amount of cash that is available to you.You will not be charged a fee to get cash from the teller.Do not ask for a cash advance.
You can call PA SCDU Customer Service at 1-877-727-7238 during regular business hours to request this information.Information on bank and ATM locations is also available at Master Card Locator.
1-800-304-1669 is the number to call for anything related to your Pennsylvania EPPICard. You will need to provide the name of the bank, and the branch office where the problem occurred. During regular business hours, Monday through Friday you can also contact SCDU Customer Service at 1-877-727-7238.
If you decide you do not want a card, you may have your funds direct deposited into a personal bank account. If you want to use the direct deposit option, contact you local Domestic Relations office or Pennsylvania SCDU. Either location will provide the appropriate form for you to complete.Completed Direct Deposit forms must be sent to PA SCDU for processing.
You will be automatically sent a Pennsylvania EPPICard if you do not sign up for direct deposit.
No, you cannot make your own deposits into your EPPICard™ MasterCard account.
You can call EPPICard customer service at 1-800-304-1669 to check your balance.You may check your balance online at www.EPPICard.com.You may also use an ATM to perform a balance inquiry. There is a $.50 fee for balance inquires. There may also be a surcharge fee if the inquiry is not performed at a WACHOVIA or PNC bank ATM. (Updated 3/06)
You may request a monthly statement.One will not be automatically sent to you.To request a statement, you must call EPPICard customer service.You can also access information regarding your Pennsylvania EPPICard at www.EPPICard.com.
No.You do not have to have a bank account, and no credit check will be performed.
If you ask for cash withdrawal from a teller at any financial institution that displays the MasterCard brand mark you should not be charged a fee.If you withdraw funds from a Wachovia or PNC Bank ATM, there is no surcharge but there will always be a communication line fee of $.95 for use of the network. There is a $.50 fee for balance inquires at an ATM. Banks other than Wachovia and PNC may also charge an ATM surcharge fee for balance inquires. An ATM surcharge is different from a communication line fee and may or may not be charged when you use an ATM to get cash. You will always be advised about this fee before it is charged. You may choose to cancel the withdrawal and go to another ATM that does not surcharge or you may continue with your withdrawal.(Updated 3/06)
PIN means Personal Identification Number.Your PIN is a 4-digit number.Always keep your PIN private.You must select a PIN to activate the EPPICard when you receive your card in the mail.If you lose your card and get a replacement card, you must activate the replacement card and you will need to select a PIN again. You may select the same PIN if you want. As an additional protection against the back of your card in ink or put a note on the card to always ask for photo ID.
If you did not write it down in a secure place at home and you cannot remember it, call customer service at 1-800-304-1669 and select a new PIN.
You have a total of four tries to enter the correct PIN. If you are confused and enter the wrong number, you can try three more times.After four consecutive incorrect tries, the machine displays a “locked” message. The card is locked until midnight.If you remember your PIN, you may simply use your card the next day.This is to protect your benefits if the card is stolen and attempts are made to use the card.If you do not remember your PIN, you can call customer service at 1-800-304-1669 and select a new PIN.
Call 1-800-304-1669 when you realize that your card is missing.This puts a hold on your account and no one will be able to use the card.If you find your card after you report it to customer service, you will not be able to use the original card.You must wait for the replacement to arrive in the mail.Your first replacement will be issued at no charge.
However, each time after the first time that you request a replacement card you will be charged a fee of $5.00.
However, each time after the first time that you request a replacement card you will be charged a fee of $5.00.
Broken, cracked or damaged cards need to be replaced. Call 1-800-304-1669 and report that you have a problem with your Pennsylvania EPPICard.A replacement card will be sent directly to your mailing address.
Insufficient Funds means you have tried to spend more than you have on your Pennsylvania EPPICard. If you feel this error message is incorrect, call 1-800-304-1669 for assistance.
You should call customer service at 1-800-304-1669 if you have any questions regarding the balance of your account, or any transactions associated with your account.
You need to contact your local DRS if you are receiving child support and your name has changed.The DRS will update the statewide child support system with your new name.
Your card will work until the balance on the card is $0.00.
Contact PA SCDU at 1-877-727-7238.
If you received the Pennsylvania EPPICard support payments received will be deposited to the card until your direct deposit enrollment process is completed. Please keep the card, activate your PIN as directed on the card and check your card balance.Once PA SCDU receives your correctly completed direct deposit enrollment form direct deposit should begin in about 10 business days.If, at any time, you cancel or stop direct deposit, your support payments will again be disbursed to your EPPICard.
If you did not sign up for Direct Deposit, and you are no longer receiving support checks, it is possible that you have support money on your PA EPPICard.You may access PA SCDU (PA Support Collection & Disbursement Unit)to see if support payments have been made for you, and if the support payments have been disbursed to EPPICard. If support payments have been disbursed for you to the EPPICard, you must call the EPPICard 800 number and request a replacement card.