Consumer complaint received 2020-03-16
Company: Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Other banking product or service
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
In my company benefits, which are provided by ADP, I set aside funds to pay for dependent care every year. My expenses are generally run higher than that. In the year that ran XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX, I set aside {$5000.00}. These funds are kept at a XXXX XXXX XXXX account in XXXX XXXX. At some time before XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a claim for about {$3100.00} of expenses for daycare. These were reimbursed to me. Then I continued paying for my daughter 's care, waiting for the total to exceed {$1900.00} so that I could submit the next claim. 

After the benefit year ends in XX/XX/XXXX, I only have two months ( XX/XX/XXXXand XX/XX/XXXX ) to submit a claim for the rest of my dependent care expenses. But in XX/XX/XXXX, my husband of 8 years, partner of 11 years, and the father of my XXXX children, broke up with me. I spent most of XX/XX/XXXXand XX/XX/XXXXand following months in therapy. I cried at work and barely made sure bills were all paid on time. 

When I checked the XXXX XXXX  site in the fall, it looked like I could still submit a claim against that account. I could click " I want to ... '' and then File a Claim. So I wasn't worried I was out of time. I gathered the needed documents at the end of the calendar year, when I requested the daycare to send me my expenses during XX/XX/XXXX. On the XXXX XXXX  site, I tried to submit a claim, but it didn't work. I talked to someone on the phone and they suggested I mail the claim in and explain my circumstances. I did that. My claim was to be reimbursed XXXX ( the amount available from my XXXX XXXX XXXX ) out of a total expense of XXXX that I incurred in spring XX/XX/XXXX. 

XXXX XXXX  denied my claim on XX/XX/XXXX, saying that the plan year had already ended. I submitted an appeal, explaining that the major life event in my life ( my marital separation and my subsequent mental state ) made me incapable of submitting a timely claim. XXXX XXXX  denied my claim another time on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I called XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX to seek what are alternative ways I can access those funds. If I can not use them for dependent care purposes, perhaps I could pay the taxes and maybe a fee, but get some of it back? They said it's all in the hands of ADP. I called ADP immediately after, and they said it's up to XXXX XXXX, but that generally the funds will be forfeited. They also told me that the funds will probably go back to ADP but there is no way I can get any of that money back. 

I am losing {$1800.00}. I'm not even asking to use that money to pay for dependent care. I just want to get a portion of it back because it takes me weeks to earn that money through my job. XXXX XX/XX/XXXXdid not acknowledge my circumstances in denying my appeal. It was like the appeal process was a joke, just a semblance of control, but really they don't read it. In the meantime, I am incurring a lot of expenses associated with the divorce, so it's very disappointing that my own funds -- set aside to pay for child care -- are being forfeited to ADP.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation