To set up direct deposit with Tempus Unlimited, complete the Tempus Unlimited direct deposit form with your consumer’s information and your own banking details, attach a voided check or official bank document for an account in your name, and fax the packet to 1-800-359-2884. Tempus pays biweekly with deposits dated each Friday, and direct deposit is the default payment method for caregivers and personal care attendants.1Tempus Unlimited. FI Timesheets and Instructions
What to Gather Before You Start
Have these items in front of you before you open the form:
- Your consumer’s Tempus-assigned number and full name. The number appears on your timesheets.
- Your bank’s nine-digit routing number and your account number. Both are printed along the bottom of your checks.2eCFR. 12 CFR Appendix A to Part 229 – Routing Number Guide
- Proof of the account. For checking, attach a voided check or a photocopy of one; starter checks work only if your name, routing number, and account number are preprinted. For savings, attach an official bank document showing your name, routing number, and account number. Handwritten information is not accepted, and deposit slips are not accepted.3Tempus Unlimited. NHP Package of Fillable Forms – Direct Deposit Application
If you don’t have checks, ask your bank for an account verification letter on their letterhead showing your full name, routing number, account number, and account type. Some banks generate these through online banking at no cost; others charge a small fee.
Filling Out the Form
The form runs about one page. Download it from the Tempus Unlimited website or use the copy in the new-hire packet Tempus sends at enrollment.4Tempus Unlimited. Fiscal Intermediary Department – Timesheets and Instructions
At the top, enter the consumer number and the consumer’s full name. Below that, put your own name and phone number as the worker. In the banking section, write the account holder name exactly as it appears on the account, then the bank’s name, the nine-digit routing number, and the account number. Check the box for checking or savings.
Read the authorization language at the bottom before you sign. You are giving Tempus permission to deposit your pay and to debit the account if they overpay you, up to the amount of the error.3Tempus Unlimited. NHP Package of Fillable Forms – Direct Deposit Application Sign, date, and attach your voided check or bank document.
The Joint Account Rule
The account you provide must be in your own name as the worker. Under MassHealth program rules, you cannot use a joint account shared with the consumer you care for or with the consumer’s surrogate.5Tempus Unlimited. PCA/Worker Direct Deposit Change Form A joint account with a spouse or another person unrelated to the program is generally acceptable; the restriction targets the specific case where caregiver and consumer share finances. If your only account is held jointly with your consumer, open a separate account or enroll in the pay card option.
How to Submit It
The fastest route is fax. Send the completed form and supporting documents to 1-800-359-2884.6Tempus Unlimited. PCA/Worker Direct Deposit Change Form If you have questions, call 1-877-479-7577. You can also mail a physical copy, though that adds several days. Use the mailing address printed on the copy of the form in your enrollment packet to make sure it matches your specific program.
Two online tools help you track things after submission. The paystub portal at P4.tempusunlimited.org shows your payment history, and the PaperWorkr portal at paperwork.tempusunlimited.org handles some document submissions.7Tempus Unlimited. Access PCA Payroll Information Online
What Happens After You Submit
Tempus does not activate direct deposit on the day the form arrives. Payroll reviews the document for completeness and checks that your attached bank verification matches what you wrote. A single wrong digit in the routing or account number will bounce the form back, so verify both against your check or bank letter before sending.
Once the form clears review, Tempus generally sends a prenote, a zero-dollar test transaction through the ACH network, to confirm the banking link is valid.8First Bank. ACH Prenotes Explained – How to Verify Account Information Before Sending Payments If the receiving bank doesn’t reject it within a few business days, live deposits can start. In the meantime, you may receive a paper check by mail so your pay isn’t interrupted.
Tempus does not always send a confirmation when direct deposit goes live. The reliable signal is seeing your pay in your account on a Friday payday. Watch your bank statements and the paystub portal during the first couple of pay cycles after submission.
Changing Your Bank or Account Later
To switch banks or update your account, use the PCA/Worker Direct Deposit Change Form, not another copy of the original application.5Tempus Unlimited. PCA/Worker Direct Deposit Change Form The change form asks for both your old and new bank details, so gather both before you start. The documentation requirements are the same: attach a voided check or bank letter for the new account, and keep the account in your name only.
Do not close the old account until deposits are landing in the new one. A deposit sent to a closed account is usually returned to Tempus, but that return can take a week or more, and your pay sits idle in the interim. Keep the old account open through at least two full pay cycles after you submit the change.
If You Can’t Use a Bank Account
Workers without a bank account that accepts direct deposit are required to enroll in a payroll debit card, the U.S. Bank Focus Card. It is a prepaid card, not a credit card, with no monthly fee and no per-purchase fee.9Tempus Unlimited. U.S. Bank Focus Card Enrollment Form Your pay loads to the card each payday. You can spend anywhere Visa is accepted or withdraw cash at ATMs.
Common fees:
- In-network ATM withdrawals at U.S. Bank, MoneyPass, or Allpoint: free.
- Out-of-network ATM withdrawals: $2.00, plus what the ATM operator charges.
- Inactivity fee: $2.00 per month after 90 days with no transactions.
- Card replacement: $5.00, waived for the first replacement within 12 months and waived entirely for workers in Connecticut, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania.
- Expedited replacement: $10.00 for three-business-day delivery or $20.00 for overnight.
To enroll, complete the U.S. Bank Focus Card Enrollment Form and return it to Tempus. You’ll supply your name, address, date of birth, and an email address, plus a driver’s license number or other ID for federally required identity verification.9Tempus Unlimited. U.S. Bank Focus Card Enrollment Form The card arrives by mail within 7 to 10 business days. Funds are FDIC-insured, and the card is covered by federal consumer protections under Regulation E.10eCFR. 12 CFR Part 1005 – Electronic Fund Transfers (Regulation E)
Paper checks are available only through a hardship exemption. Qualifying examples include no access to a bank during off-hours, no ATM within a reasonable distance of your home or workplace, or being a minor. Simply preferring checks does not qualify.4Tempus Unlimited. Fiscal Intermediary Department – Timesheets and Instructions
If a Payment Doesn’t Arrive
If payday passes and nothing lands in your account, log into P4.tempusunlimited.org first to check whether Tempus processed the payment.7Tempus Unlimited. Access PCA Payroll Information Online If the portal shows a deposit was sent but your bank has no record, the usual cause is a wrong account or routing number on file. Call Tempus at 1-877-479-7577 to report it.
When a payment goes to the wrong account, Tempus can request a reversal through the ACH network. NACHA rules allow a reversing entry within five banking days after the original transaction settled, and only for specific errors such as an incorrect receiver or dollar amount.11Nacha. ACH Network Rules – Reversals and Enforcement Recovery after that window is more difficult, so report anything wrong the moment you spot it.
If your bank rejected the deposit because the account was closed or invalid, the funds return to Tempus automatically over several business days. Once Tempus receives them, they can reissue your pay, but you’ll need to correct the banking information first by submitting a new change form. Verifying your routing and account numbers against your bank document one more time before you fax prevents most of these problems.