Parents across Texas are reporting significant delays in receiving child support payments months after the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG) launched a new payment system.
Among those affected is Alexandria Dobkowski, a freelance writer and editor originally from Sugar Land who now resides in Washington state. She said she has not received full child support payments since the summer, making it difficult to cover basic needs such as food and clothing.
Dobkowski said she began calling the OAG’s office daily after missing her August payment, often waiting on hold for long periods without resolution. According to her, OAG representatives confirmed that payments from her ex-husband had been received but not distributed.
“The state acknowledged the funds but never released them,” Dobkowski said, adding that the issue was not on her ex-husband’s end.
The missed payments have caused Dobkowski to accrue late fees and fall behind on rent. She has since applied for SNAP benefits and sought help from local food pantries to make ends meet.
The OAG updated its child support payment system earlier this year. Since then, numerous parents have reported delays, missing deposits, or transaction errors. Many said they have experienced long hold times and minimal updates from the agency.
A mother of seven told KPRC 2 that she called the OAG every day for two weeks without receiving a timeline for her payments. Another parent said the missed deposits have disrupted coverage for essential expenses such as therapy, medical bills, groceries, and mortgage payments.
Dobkowski questioned why the issue remains unresolved months after it was first reported. “There should have been a backup system,” she said. “It’s hard to understand how this is still happening.”
In a statement, an OAG spokesperson denied that the delays were widespread. The agency reported that more than 8.6 million payments, totaling over $1.75 billion, have been disbursed since the new system launched. The spokesperson said customers with case-specific questions should contact staff directly and cited confidentiality laws as the reason for not discussing individual cases.
However, parents continue to report issues that contradict the agency’s assurances. KPRC 2 has been seeking clarification from the OAG since July about when full payments will resume but has not received specific answers.
At least one formal complaint has been filed with the Texas State Ombudsman, which investigates complaints against state agencies. The Ombudsman referred the matter back to the Attorney General’s Office for response.
