1. (1) The Notice form in Paragraph (5) shall be used by the Department of Human Services or its contractors which establish or enforce support under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act for the purpose of providing notice to an obligor of support in Tennessee that, due to an accumulated arrears balance in the support payments, an increase in the amount of support has been directed by the Department pursuant to T.C.A. § 36-5-501(b)(1)(B)-(E) to reduce the accumulated arrears balance by a reasonable amount within a reasonable timeframe, and a modification has been made to the previously issued Income Withholding for Support (Order for Income Assignment) which will direct the obligor’s employer or payer of income to withhold additional income from an obligor of support to meet the child or spousal support obligation.
2. (2) The form referenced in 1240-02-02-.04(1)(a) will be attached to the Notice form in Paragraph (5).
3. (3) The Department may combine the language in this form with language of the notices issued by the Department described in this Chapter to provide notice of various actions taken by the court or actions taken administratively by the Department, and the form may be modified and transmitted by the TCSES system to contain, as may be applicable, combinations of the language in any of those notices on one form.

4. (4) Appeals.

   1. (a) The obligor may contest this Notice of Increase in Income Assignment by filing a written request for an administrative hearing with the local child support office shown on the Notice within fifteen (15) days of the mailing of the Notice. The grounds for contesting the Notice are limited to a determination of the correct identity of the person(s) or entity(ies) to whom or to which the administrative action is directed, to whether there is a mistake of fact involving the action, and, if the court has not already determined the amount of arrears or the amount of the payment:

      1. 1. A determination of the amount of arrearage;
      2. 2. Whether the payment on the arrearage is reasonable as to the amount to be paid and the time over which the obligation is to be paid.
   2. (b) If the obligor contests the Notice of Income Assignment within the above time limit, a hearing will be promptly set. The employer will continue to withhold income unless a decision favorable to the obligor is rendered. The obligor and the employer will be notified of the decision within forty-five (45) days of the date the Income Withholding for Support (also called an Order for Income Assignment or Income Assignment) was issued. If an unfavorable decision is rendered, the obligor has a right to further appeal the decision as described in the Department’s hearing order following the decision.

5. (5) Form: STATE OF TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES NOTICE OF INCREASE IN INCOME ASSIGNMENT TO ADMINISTRATIVELY REDUCE ARREARS TO: ____________________________________<OBLIGOR> ____________________________________<ADDRESS> ____________________________________ FROM: ____________________________________<LOCAL CHILD SUPPORT OFFICE > ____________________________________<ADDRESS> ____________________________________<TELEPHONE NUMBER> MAILING DATE OF NOTICE: ___________________________________ Our records indicate that you are delinquent on your child support or spousal payments of at least $________ as of ____________________<Date>. Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated, § 36-5-501(b)(1)(B)-(E), you are hereby notified that, in addition to all sums you are currently paying by previously ordered income assignments, $______________ per ________________ has been added to reduce the aforementioned delinquency. The amount set forth above has been determined to be a reasonable amount which will reduce the delinquency in a reasonable amount of time. You may contest this Notice of Income Assignment by filing a written request for an administrative hearing with the local child support office at the address above within fifteen (15) days of the mailing of this notice as noted above. The grounds for contesting the Notice are limited to a determination of the correct identity of the person(s) or entity(ies) to whom or to which the administrative action is directed, to whether there is a mistake of fact involving the action, and, if the court has not already determined the amount of arrears or the amount of the payment:

   1. 1. A determination of the amount of arrearage;
   2. 2. Whether the payment on the arrearage is reasonable as to the amount to be paid and the time over which the obligation is to be paid. If you contest this Notice of Income Assignment within the above time limit, a hearing will be promptly set. Your employer will continue to withhold income unless a decision favorable to you is rendered. You and your employer will be notified of the decision within forty-five (45) days of the date the Income Withholding for Support (also called an Order for Income Assignment or Income Assignment) was issued. If an unfavorable decision is rendered, you have a right to further appeal the decision as described in the Department’s hearing order following the decision. It is your responsibility to the keep the Court Clerk and the local child support office informed of the name and address of your current employer, whether you have access to health insurance coverage, and, if so, the health insurance policy information. You must also immediately notify the Court Clerk and the local child support office of any changes in, or any additional employment, including the name and address of the new employer. Your new employer will be notified of the Order for Income Assignment. An Order for Income Assignment shall be mandatory as long as current support or arrearages are still owed. Clerks of court are authorized to issue an Order for Income Assignment to the employer or payer of income of the obligor and to institute the process to assign income when the obligor fails to pay court costs, but shall not have priority over the Order for Income Assignment for child or spousal support.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 8-21-403, 36-5-116, 36-5-501, 36-5-1002, and 71-1-132(c); 42 U.S.C. §§ 651 et seq., 42 U.S.C §§ 652(a)(11), 654(9)(E), 654a(g)(1)(A)(ii), 654b(a), and 666(a)(8) and (b); 45 C.F.R. §§ 303.6(c)(1), 303.7, and 303.100; and United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child Support Enforcement Action Transmittal 04-05 (July 15, 2004). Administrative History: Original rule filed October 14, 1999; effective December 28, 1999. Amendment filed August 17, 2005; effective October 31, 2005. Amendment filed September 8, 2009; effective December 7, 2009.