The Green Book & Government Payments Explained

Since 1975, the Green Book has offered guidance on the acceptance of federal government payments via direct deposit.  As the ACH Network has evolved, so too has the Green Book, which now provides guidance on direct deposit enrollment, garnishment limitations on protected federal benefits, handling claims of non-receipt, and the impact of returning a federal benefit payment. 

In addition to these subjects, the Green Book also provides direction on reclamation of federal benefit payments.  To limit potential liability, financial institutions must be careful when handling post-death federal benefit payments and reclamation requests.  Due to important updates in 2020 and 2021, institutions are encouraged to review the current version of the Green Book to ensure their policies and procedures coincide with statements from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service and the Department of the Treasury.  This presentation will examine today’s Green Book and the most-recent guidance.