A new law passed by the United States Congress is making all states collect a $25 annual fee each year for certain child support cases. This applies to child support cases that never received cash assistance benefits, have an open child support case in Pennsylvania, and collect at least $500 in child support annually. The fee is collected to cover some of the federal government’s costs of providing child support enforcement services. (Pub. L. 109-171; § 7310.)

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Public Welfare will:

Pay the fee for families with annual child support collections between $500 and $1,999.99, and

Deduct the fee from the custodial parent if $2,000 or more of child support is collected in a year from the noncustodial parent. (Act 2008-16; 23 Pa. C.S. §  4351 (a.1).)