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SOCIAL SECURITY

Child Support Agency

Mr. Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has for a review of the structure and operation of the Child Support Agency; over what time scale and with what terms of reference; and if she will make a statement. [4889]

Mr. Keith Bradley: Over the coming months we will be looking closely at all areas of the Child Support Agency's operations, in particular to ensure that cases are processed faster, backlogs are tackled and fathers do not avoid paying maintenance.

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the proportion of the new work intake of the Child Support Agency during 1996-97 and the number of live assessed cases on 31 March 1997 relating to persons with care (a) claiming (i) income support, (ii) income-based jobseekers allowance, (iii) family credit and (iv) disability working allowance and (b) not in receipt of means-tested benefits; if she will list the figures for the three previous years; and if she will estimate the proportion of maintenance collected which is not offset against means-tested benefits. [5265]

Mr. Bradley: We expect the Child Support Agency to provide an efficient and effective service to all its clients throughout the Child Support assessment process. We are looking for substantial and sustained improvements from the Agency in particular on getting more maintenance paid, reducing the backlog and improving customer service.

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 7 July 1997:


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Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons with care have received payments of interest on delay from the Child Support Agency. [5271]

Mr. Bradley: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 7 July 1997:



    I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the number of persons with care who have received payments of interest on delay from the Child Support Agency.
    The measure whereby persons with care are compensated for delays caused by the Agency in passing on maintenance payments was introduced in March 1996, and was applicable to payments made from 1 April 1995. At the 30 April 1997, the total number of persons with care who have received payments under this measure from the Agency was 835, from a live and assessed caseload of approximately half a million.
    I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will give a breakdown of the level of Child Support Agency full assessment against absent parents' income in bands of £50 a week; and what

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proportion of absent parents have an assessment which is higher than the maintenance requirement for the relevant children. [5293]

Mr. Bradley: The formula provisions are designed to ensure that absent parents pay a reasonable amount towards the costs of their children, and contain a number of safeguards to ensure they retain a fair proportion of their income to meet other commitments. The additional maintenance payable when absent parents have sufficient income to meet the basic maintenance requirement helps to ensure that children share their higher standard of living.

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 7 July 1997:


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Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list for each quarter for which information is available since April 1993 (a) the total debt in Child Support Agency accounts, (b) the debt attributable to interim maintenance assessments and (c) for both IMA-only cases and fully assessed cases, the number and percentage of accounts (i) fully paid up, (ii) partly paid up and (iii) without any payments made; and if he will add these data to the CSA performance statistical information placed in the Library. [5261]

Mr. Bradley: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 7 July 1997:



    I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the amount of debt in Child Support Agency accounts.

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Mr. Pond: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of child maintenance assessments were processed by the Child Support Agency (i) within six months, (ii) within a year and (iii) after more than a year in 1996-97. [5446]

Mr. Bradley: We expect the Child Support Agency to provide an efficient and effective service to all its clients throughout the child support assessment process. We are looking for substantial and sustained operational improvements from the Agency, in particular on getting more maintenance paid, reducing the backlog and improving customer service.

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Chris Pond, dated 7 July 1997:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the processing of maintenance assessments. I am afraid that I am unable to provide precise information in the format requested, as we do not have a breakdown of the proportion of clearances within a year and greater than a year.


Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the caseload of the Child Support Agency, in respect of (a) cases awaiting

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assessment and (b) live assessed cases at the end of each financial year of its operation; and what estimates she has made of these figures over the next five years. [5280]

Mr. Bradley: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 7 July 1997:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the caseload of the Child Support Agency.


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Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of Sate for Social Security how many complaints concerning the Child Support Agency were sent in the last six quarters to (a) its customer services manager, (b) its chief executive and (c) Ministers; and when complainants were informed of the establishment of the office of independent case examiner. [5316]

Mr. Bradley: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 7 July 1997:



    I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about complaints concerning the Child Support Agency. I am afraid that I am unable to provide precise information in the format requested.
    Most letters of complaint to the Agency are not dealt with centrally, but are handled by the Child Support Agency Centres (or, in a small number of instances, field offices) responsible for the complainants case. The number of complaints received by the Centres (or the field) over the last six quarters is as follows:

    QuarterNumber of complaints
    October to December 19957,609
    January to March 19966,257
    April to June 19966,275
    July to September 19966,259
    October to December 19965,808
    January to March 19975,870

    Whilst figures are collated on correspondence received by Ministers and Chief Executive offices, this is not broken down into different categories, and it is not possible to say what proportion of that correspondence relates to complaints. Details of the number of letters received by the Chief Executive and by Ministers over the last six quarters is as follows:


    QuarterChief ExecutiveMinisters
    October to December 19952,322455
    January to March 19962,412370
    April to June 19962,338402
    July to September 19962,102319
    October to December 19962,333346
    January to March 19972,266347

    It is important to consider the amount of correspondence, whether complaints or other matters, in the context of the Agency's overall business. From launch in April 1993 to the end of 1996/97, the Agency has taken on just under two million cases. A relatively small proportion of the Agency's workload, therefore, results in complaints or other correspondence.

    In response to a written Parliamentary Question, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State announced on 25 March 1996, that an Independent Complaints Examiner would be recruited for the Agency. This was followed by a press release, on the same day, stating his intentions to recruit an Independent Complaints Examiner, following a pilot to inform the guidelines within which the Examiner would operate. The appointment of Anne Parker as Independent Case Examiner was announced in a press release on 31st December 1996 and a leaflet explaining the service was published at the end of March 1997. Additionally, moves to publicise the service have included meetings between the Examiner and stakeholder organisations, and correspondence from the Ombudsman to MPs.

    The Office of the Independent Case Examiner opened for business on 7th April 1997, but there were some restrictions on publicity during the General Election period.

    I hope this is helpful.


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Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Child Support Agency cases have had initial period arrears of over six months deferred in each quarter since April 1995; and in how many of these cases the person with care has been compensated. [5254]

Mr. Bradley: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 7 July 1997:



    I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency initial period arrears cases.
    This measure was introduced to encourage absent parents to start paying maintenance where significant levels of arrears had accrued, as a direct result of Agency delays in processing initial maintenance assessments in the early period of the Agency. Under this arrangement, if absent parents continue to comply for 52 weeks, they would only be liable for the latest 6 months of arrears. Where this results in a balance of arrears being due to the person with care, this is paid by the Agency in the form of a special payment.
    The table attached shows the number of cases where initial period arrears have been deferred and the number of cases where the person with care has been compensated.
    Because of the 52 week qualifying period no payments were made during 1995/96. It follows that any agreements made for 1996/97 would not be actioned until the beginning of the following financial year, namely 1997/98.
    I hope this is helpful.

    Child Support Agency initial period arrears cases

    PeriodInitial period arrears deferred -- number of casesNumber of cases where person with care has been compensated
    April to June 199514Not applicable
    July to September 199576Not applicable
    October to December 1995304Not applicable
    January to March 1996382Not applicable
    April to June 1996303Nil
    July to September 199620016
    October to December 199619120
    January to March 199726652
    Totals1,73688

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the Child Support Agency performance statistics for the final quarter of 1996-97 will be placed in the Library; and if the CSA met its performance targets and its charter targets for that year. [5288]

Mr. Bradley: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

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Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 7 July 1997:


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Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many Child Support Agency cases (a) liability orders have been registered in the county court, (b) inspectors have been appointed and (c) category C IMAs have been made. [5258]

Mr. Bradley: The Government believes all children are entitled to the support of both parents, irrespective of where they live. We cannot tolerate absent parents not paying the maintenance that they owe. It is therefore right that the Child Support Agency should chase up fathers who avoid paying.

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood dated 7 July 1997:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the enforcement of maintenance assessments.



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