195 Child Care or Alimony Deduction

Child care or alimony deduction is the withholding of court ordered or voluntary child care or alimony payments through payroll deductions. Child care and alimony data can be viewed in IRIS Program IR306, Child Support and Alimony.

Federal employees’ salaries and wages are subject to garnishment for child support and/or alimony payments. This type of garnishment occurs when a Governmental Agency is directed, through legal process, to make a payment for monies otherwise payable to an employee, to another party to satisfy the employee’s legal obligation of providing child support and/or making alimony payments. If garnishment has not been ordered, the employee may voluntarily request payroll deductions for child support and/or alimony payments.

This section addresses the entry of child care and alimony payments based on a dollar amount or a percentage of disposable income. If the payment is based on a percentage of gross wages or if more than three child care/alimony deductions are to be made, the data should not be entered in PPS. For more information, see the Non-Automated Processing procedure manual located under the Manual Pay Processing category, on the NFC website.

A maximum of three child care/alimony deductions may be entered in the system based on the specific dollar amounts or percentages of disposable income. Maintain and use as required the AD-747, Court-Ordered Child Care or Alimony Deductions, and all copies for three years after the deductions have been completed. Maintain sufficient internal files so that all inquires concerning garnishment cases can be promptly answered.

Once established, cancellations of the garnishment must be ordered by the legal process. Voluntary deductions may be canceled at any time.