Contrary to criticisms about errors and glitches, officials in the state Welfare Department say the centralized collection and enforcement program has gotten off to a good start and is working well. Daniel N. Richard, director of the department's Bureau of Child Support Enforcement, said the long arms of the computer already were reeling in deadbeats and netting millions of dollars in overdue support payments. They have not been widespread. This has been a very successful system, and it is running very smoothly. But that is not how many lawyers and court officials in the Philadelphia area see it.
Federal law allows for such interceptions.
Mattes insisted he did not owe the money and fired off a letter of protest. If payments are overdue by two months, the debt is reported to a credit bureau. Welfare officials said more than 50,000 of those notices had been sent during the last year. When payments are behind by three months, the driver's license of the delinquent parent can be suspended. About 55,000 license warnings were sent in June.