Social Security garnishment for alimony - can I get direct deposit instead of checks? How to change mailing address?

welcome to dealing with ssa lol they never kno what there doing

I went through something similar with my garnished payments from my ex-husband's benefits. For the address change, you need to contact the Court that issued the garnishment order, NOT the SSA. They will file an amended order with your new address information. The SSA just processes what the court tells them to do. As for direct deposit, unfortunately in my experience, garnishment payments for alimony are almost always sent as checks. I tried for months to get mine switched to direct deposit and kept hitting dead ends. It has something to do with how the Treasury Department processes these specific types of payments versus regular SS benefits.

You're dealing with two separate issues here: 1) For direct deposit: These garnishment payments are handled through the Treasury Department's Court Ordered Payment System, not through SSA's normal payment system. That's why the SSA representatives were unfamiliar with the process. You actually need to contact the Treasury Department directly at 1-800-304-3107 and request enrollment in their Direct Deposit program for garnishment recipients. Not all garnishments qualify, but many do. 2) For address changes: As the previous commenter mentioned, you need to go through the court that issued the garnishment order. They will submit form SSA-459 (Garnishment Notification) with your updated information. Once the court submits this, SSA will update their records within 30-45 days. I recommend starting this process at least 2 months before you move to ensure continuous receipt of your payments.

My sister had her ex's SS benefits garnished for child support (similar system to alimony) and she DID eventually get direct deposit, but it was a NIGHTMARE process. Took her like 4 months and dozen+ phone calls. The SSA kept telling her it wasn't possible, then finally someone at Treasury told her about some special form she needed. I'll ask her what it was called.

Have you tried calling the SSA's main number? I've found that sometimes the local offices aren't as knowledgeable about specialized situations like garnishments. When I was having issues getting information about my disability backpay, I kept getting disconnected or put on hold forever when calling the main SSA number. I was about to give up when someone told me about Claimyr.com - it got me connected to an actual SSA representative in less than 10 minutes! They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The rep I spoke with was able to help with my unusual payment situation when the local office couldn't.

Let me clarify something important here - garnishments for alimony/child support are handled by different systems depending on WHEN they were initiated. If your garnishment started BEFORE December 1, 2017, it's likely processed through the older Court Ordered Payment System (COPS). If your garnishment started AFTER December 1, 2017, it should be processed through the newer Administrative Offset Program (AOP). This matters because: - COPS payments CAN be direct deposited by filling out SF-1199A - AOP payments are TYPICALLY paper checks only Call Treasury's TOP (Treasury Offset Program) call center at 1-800-304-3107 and ask specifically which program your garnishment falls under. That will determine your options. Regarding the address change - regardless of which system you're in, you MUST start with the court. The original garnishment order contains your address, and SSA/Treasury can't modify court orders.

my mom went thru this exact same thing!!! the SSA people are USELESS but the treasury dept people actually know what there doing. good luck!!

One important warning about your address change - make sure you submit the change through the court at least 6-8 weeks before moving. I changed mine and there was a 2-month gap where my checks went missing because the paperwork was still processing. The government won't forward these checks and they won't reissue them if they're sent to your old address after you've moved. I learned this the hard way and lost almost $2,000 in payments.

Just wanted to follow up on your situation. Did you get any resolution with Treasury about the direct deposit option? And have you started the process with the court for your address change yet?

That's fantastic news! Really glad you were able to get clear answers from Treasury and get the process started with the court. Keep us posted on how the SF-1199A submission goes - I'm sure others dealing with similar garnishment issues would benefit from hearing about your experience with the direct deposit process. The fact that you're in the COPS system and they confirmed direct deposit is possible should give hope to others in your situation. Good luck with everything!