Information about parents who owe past-due support is reported to credit reporting agencies, when the case is receiving Full Services. Credit reporting agencies record the past-due support on your credit report and the information is used when calculating your credit score. Having past-due support can reduce your credit score and make it difficult to get a loan, obtain a credit card, rent property, and even get some jobs.
Pay your support on time and in full to avoid having the balance reported to credit reporting agencies.
Monitor your payments to assure your support is paid on time and in full. This is especially important when transitioning from one job to another. A change in pay cycles can cause a lapse in payments.
A notice is sent to the parent who owes past-due support before information is submitted to the credit reporting agencies. It is important to pay the amount listed on the notice by the due date to avoid having the amount reported to the credit reporting agencies. Notify Child Support right away if you believe you received the notice in error. You may be asked to provide documentation explaining the error. For example, if you believe the balance is wrong because a payment isn't showing on your records, you may be asked to provide documentation of the payment.
If you owe past-due support and you are making payments in the required amount, information about the balance and your payments is included in what is sent to the credit reporting agencies.
Once the past-due amount is paid off, your information will be reported as current. The information can remain on your credit report for up to 7 years.
Child Support stops reporting to credit reporting agencies when your case closes.
Child Support reports the past-due amount to four credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion. These agencies may keep your information on their records even after your child support case closes.