Struggling with Child Support Payments While Your SSD Claim Is Pending?

When an individual files a claim seeking SSD benefits, the time period that falls between submission of the application and getting a decision on the application tends to be the most challenging.

With your disability inhibiting your ability to work, you will have no source of income to maintain your standard of living and to keep up with your financial obligations. As a result, bills begin piling up and monthly payments may fall behind.

If you are required to make child support payments as part of a divorce or custody agreement, keeping up with these payments while your SSD benefits claim is pending may be next to impossible.

What Can Be Done to Ease Your Struggle While Awaiting SSD Benefits?

If you have found yourself unable to keep up with child support payments, you should immediately contact the attorney who is representing you in your SSD benefits claim.

Your attorney can help guide you in the right direction by referring you to another attorney who focuses on family law issues or to an organization such as Michigan Legal Help, which can provide the information you may need to handle your legal issue on your own. (See, for instance, the Michigan Legal Help “Managing Child Support Debt” resource.)

In most cases, to begin the process, you will need to obtain documentation which proves you have applied for SSD benefits or that you are currently awaiting a decision on a request for reconsideration or an appeal.

This information can then be used in a variety of ways to help ease your financial struggles, particularly those related to your child support payment obligations.

The following are a few of the solutions you may be able to pursue should you be unable to keep up with child support payments:

• If your arrears are owed only to the state: You can submit a Request to Discharge State-Owed Debt to the Friend of the Court (FOC) office in the county where your child support order was issued.
• If your arrears are owed to an individual, the state, or both: You should consider filing a motion with the Circuit Court, asking the judge to grant you the right to set up a payment plan. With a payment plan, you would be required to make a certain number of scheduled payments based on your limited budget, after which the judge will have the option of forgiving the remainder of your debt.
• If you owe child support, yet your child is scheduled to receive SSD benefits due to your disability: You may be able to arrange to have the benefits your child will receive credited towards the arrears debt which has accumulated since the date of your disability.
• If you feel your medical condition warrants an adjustment In the amount of child support you are required to pay: You may want to request that a judge review your situation so your support amount can be adjusted accordingly.

A Detroit SSD Benefits Attorney Can Help You

Any individual, whether he or she has suffered a disability or not, needs to take their obligation to pay child support very seriously. Child support payments are an issue which should never be ignored.

Never take the approach that problems related to child support payments will simply “go away.” They will not.

If you have found yourself struggling to keep up with child support payments while your SSD benefits claim is pending, take action. Seek legal counsel and get the help you need right away.

You do not have to endure this struggle alone. An attorney can be a valuable resource in your fight to pursue SSD benefits after becoming disabled and can help you to deal with the challenges you may face along the way.

If you would like to discuss your situation, simply call the SSD Fighters today or connect with us through our online form.