Employers and payroll professionals who deduct support payments can send the payments to the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) using one of several options. You can request more information on any of these payment methods, by using the online information request form.
Electronic payment methods
Five e-commerce/electronic options are available. Using one of these payment methods can save your organization time, money and effort.
Corporate Pre-Authorized Payment Plan
Use this method if the same amount is deducted on a regular basis and you only have one or two employees making support payments. Deductions are automatically made at a time/frequency that you select.
Online Banking
The FRO is a registered payee with most major financial institutions. Payments can be made by telephone or via online banking arrangements.
Here’s what to do.
- Set up this method online with your bank.
- Select the “Family Responsibility Office” as the payee. It is often listed under the category "Ontario" and sub-heading of "government" or "other".
- When asked for the "account number", please enter the employee's Family Responsibility Office case number. This case number is on the first page of the support deduction notice sent to your organization. This is a seven-digit number starting with zero (0).
Electronic Corporate Link to Internet Payment Services (ECLIPS)
The Electronic Corporate Link to Internet Payment Services (ECLIPS), sometimes called Internet payment or electronic payment, can be used for 1 to 1,000 employees. It is a fast and easy-to-use payment method that protects confidential information.
You enter information for each employee into a secure website and authorize payment. This information is sent to the bank for processing. If you do not authorize payment, nothing is paid to the FRO.
Using this method, you can produce reports that show the number of payments made for each employee or all employees, and obtain a payment confirmation number for each payment. You can even notify the FRO electronically when an employee has been terminated, laid-off, or if there is an interruption of support payments. This saves you from having to send a letter to the FRO.
ECLIPS offers the following benefits:
- security when sending information on the Internet;
- 3 levels of user access (service administrator, authorized user and clerical user);
- saves time by allowing user to upload payment information from computer and reduces processing time to a few minutes;
- direct control since payments are processed only when you authorize and approve payment;
- payment records are stored for 13 months online, and then archived for an additional 6 years;
- payments are processed within 36 hours;
- changes to employment can be communicated online, eliminating the need to send a letter;
- no charge for this service;
- eliminates need to issue manual cheques;
- sends all payments in one transaction;
- fewer calls to your payroll department about support deduction payments;
- can issue post-dated payments (up to 90 days in advance); and
- can recall and delete unprocessed payments online.
To use ECLIPS, you will need Internet access using a browser with 128 bit encryption (we can assist with a free upgrade if you don't have this level of security).
Family Responsibility Office Flat File
The Family Responsibility Office Flat File is used by organizations that send support deduction payments for hundreds of employees. It is a special file format that you program into your payroll system. Each pay day, you send a file and electronically transfer funds to the Family Responsibility Office account.
For details on this option or to get a copy of the Flat File specifications, contact the FRO's electronic commerce coordinator. Contact details are on the back of the support deduction notice.
Electronic Data Interchange (ED)
The Family Responsibility Office also accepts a specialized file called the Electronic Data Interchange. (Only versions 3020 and 3050 can be used.) This payment method is generally only used by very large organizations.
For details on this option or to get a copy of the Electronic Data Interchange file specifications, contact the FRO's electronic commerce coordinator. Contact details are on the back of the Support Deduction Notice.
Payments by manual cheque or money order
If you are making payment by manual cheque or money order, please follow these instructions.
Make the cheque or money order payable to: Director, Family Responsibility Office.
On the front of each cheque or money order, record the employee's seven-digit Family Responsibility Office case number and the employee's last name. (You will find the case number on the first page of the support deduction notice that is sent to your organization. It’s a seven digit number beginning with zero(0).) Both the case number and the employee's last name are required by the FRO's payment processing centre.
Payment will be delayed if this information is missing.
Send the cheque or money order to:
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Community and Social Services
P.O. Box 2204
Station P
Toronto ON M5S 3E9