Offset Program - Held Payments

If your money has been held, then you received a letter containing the name of the agency that held your money. You must contact that agency to find out why you owe the money. The Offset Program staff does not have access to the details of the debt and cannot answer your questions about why you owe money. They also cannot change your status within the program. If you want to contact the agency that held your money, their information is located on our "Agency Contacts" web page.

NO.  The Offset Program staff does not know why your money is being held. The only information they received from the offsetting agency was your social security number or federal tax ID number and the amount of money owed. No other information was provided to them. You must contact the agency identified in your notification letter to find out why your money is being held.

Because it is the offsetting agency's determination to hold or release money that matched on the Offset Program, it is released only when that agency contacts the Offset Program staff and instructs them to release your money. The Offset Program staff has no authority to release your funds unless authorized to do so by the offsetting agency. Because of that, the offsetting agency you have a Payment Plan with must contact the Offset Program staff to release your funds, not the person who had money held.

If you want to appeal your debt or the amount of your debt, you must contact the agency that placed you with the program. Their agency name is located in the letter you received stating your money was being held. If you need agency contact information, it is located on the "Agency Contacts" web page. The Offset Program Staff does not have the authority to resolve these issues.

When leaving a telephone message for the Offset Program staff, state your name, telephone number including area code, and your social security number or federal tax ID number. Speak clearly and slowly so your information will be accurately understood.

Because email is not considered secure, do not include your social security number or federal tax ID number when emailing the Offset Program staff. To send an email, click here: Offset Program Staff.

The Offset Program staff is unable to change your status in the program or to access information about why you owe money. You must contact the agency that held your money to discuss these issues.

"State agency" means a board, commission, department, including the department of administrative services, or other administrative office or unit of the state of Iowa or any other state entity reported in the Iowa comprehensive annual financial report, or a political subdivision of the state, or an office or unit of a political subdivision. "State agency" does include the clerk of the district court as it relates to the collection of a qualifying debt. "State agency" does not include the general assembly or the governor.