In 1990, federal law changed to require child support payments to be automatically deducted from the non­custodial parent`s paycheck. This is called income withholding. In these cases, the employer sends a check to the child support agency, which then sends a check to the custodial parent. This makes it easier for both the custodial parent to receive timely, regular payments, and for the non­custodial parent to take easy care of his obligation. If the custodial parent is on public assistance, the check goes to the agency that provides the assistance. However, the custodial parent will receive the first $50 of each month`s current child support payment. There are certain cases when a judge will determine another way for the non­custodial parent to pay support. Income withholding can also be applied to unemployment benefits, Social Security benefits, disability payments, and other income the non­custodial parent may receive. If the non­custodial parent is self­employed, the court order for child support sets out how support will be paid.