Overview

The Child Support Services Division (CSSD) of the South Carolina Department of Social Services, in compliance with section 43-5-598 of the South Carolina Code of Laws and 42 USC Sec. 653a, has developed the Employer New Hire Reporting Program. Through this program all employers must report all newly hired and rehired employees. This information will be used to ensure that non-custodial parents live up to their financial responsibilities to their children. By working together, the CSSD and employers can reduce the burden on our nation's taxpayers and provide a better life for our nation's children.

Decreasing the tax burden needed to fund government programs benefits all state residents. When children are receiving public assistance, State and Federal Laws allow the CSSD to collect the child support owed to the children and use these monies to reimburse the State for the public assistance payments. Most important of all, timely child support payments to families who are not receiving public assistance can prevent dependence on welfare programs in the future.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Federal Welfare Reform) requires employers to report the following data elements for each newly hired or rehired employee within 20 days:
  • Employer Name
  • Employer Address
  • Employer Federal Identification Number
  • Employer Phone Number (optional)
  • Employee Name
  • Employee Address
  • Employee Social Security Number
  • Employee Date of Birth
  • Employee Date of Remuneration (first day of work) *New Requirement
New Hire information submitted by employers will only be used for purposes prescribed by law, including:
  • Establish and enforce child support orders
  • Detect Unemployment Benefits overpayments and fraud
  • Detect Workers' Compensation overpayments and fraud
  • Detect overpayments and fraud in other government programs, such as Welfare and Food Stamps
The penalty for an employer failing to report newly hired or rehired employees is:
  • $25 for the second offense and $25 for each offense thereafter; or
  • $500 for each and every offense, if the failure to report is the result of a conspiracy between the employer and the employee not to supply the required information or to supply false or incomplete information.