On February 13, 2008, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 became Public Law No. 110-185. The Act, in part, provides that those payments may be used to pay delinquent child support balances. You may find additional information from the IRS at: www.irs.gov.

If you have filed jointly with your spouse and your spouse filed an injured spouse claim with the IRS when your 2007 taxes were filed, the IRS will send HFS 50% of your rebate regardless of your earnings and regardless of whether child(ren) claimed on the tax return belong to him/her. (This is supported by Public Law No. 110-185).

If your spouse did not file an injured spouse claim with the IRS when your taxes were filed but you want the rebate, it will be necessary for you to file an injured spouse claim with the IRS to obtain your spouse’s portion. In order to be eligible for the stimulus payment, individuals must 1) file a 2007 tax return, 2) have a valid SSN, and 3) meet the income requirements as specified in the Act. You can access this information at: www.irs.gov

What about my child(ren’s) portion?  The IRS is not sending your child any money related to the Economic Stimulus. Your economic stimulus amount is based on the number of dependents you are able to claim. Therefore, the State will retain the entire amount unless you have filed jointly and your spouse has filed an injured spouse claim with the IRS.        

If you disagree with HFS' balance, you must submit any documentation that supports your position in an envelope marked "confidential Economic Stimulus Package" and send to the following address:

Division of Child Support Enforcement
Data Gathering Unit
P. O. Box 19152
Springfield, IL 62794-9152