19 Dec 2006 : Column 1992W—continued
what his estimate is of the amount of Child Support Agency outstanding unpaid maintenance arrears for each quarter since 1993 broken down into (a) collectable (b) possibly uncollectable (c) deferred and (d) probably uncollectable; and if he will make a statement. [102206]
what the total uncollected Child Support Agency arrears were for each year since 1993 broken down by quarter; how much of the amount is assessed as (a) uncollectable and (b) collectable; and if he will make a statement. [102239]
This information is presented in the attached table, showing the total Agency debt form 1994-95 to 2005-06. The figures shown below are in respect of maintenance and include arrears and current maintenance scheduled. It is not possible to break this down into quarters as the collectability analysis is done on an annual basis only.
i) Each year a proportion of the debt is classified as probably uncollectable, recognising the fact that the Agency is unlikely to collect this debt and a provision is made in the accounts for this amount. A change in accounting practice in 2005/06 meant that the Agency made a provision for a proportion of possibly uncollectable debt as well as probably uncollectable debt. The accounts for 2004/05 have been re-stated on this basis, please refer to 2005/06 Annual Report and Accounts. Therefore the possibly uncollectable figures for 2004/05 and 2005/06 are based upon the provision in the accounts only, hence the increase in collectable debt in these years.
ii) The Annual Report and Accounts for previous years were re-stated in 1997-98, due to a change in accounting policy in reporting collectability of the debt. The re-stated figures have been shown.
iii) The Agency did not publish audited accounts in 1993-94, therefore no figures are shown for this year.
| Total Agency debt |
| | £ billion |
|
1994/95
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.5
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.0
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
0.0
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
0.5
|
19 Dec 2006 : Column 1993W
|
1995/96
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.5
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.1
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
0.5
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
1.1
|
| | |
|
1996/97
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.3
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.1
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
0.8
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
1.2
|
| | |
|
1997/98
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.4
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.2
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
0.8
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
1.4
|
| | |
|
1998/99
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.5
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.2
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
1.1
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
1.8
|
| | |
|
1999/2000
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.5
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.2
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
1.4
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
2.1
|
| | |
|
2000/01
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.4
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.2
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
1.7
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
2.3
|
| | |
|
2001/02
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.5
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.1
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
1.9
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
2.5
|
| | |
|
2002/03
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.4
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.4
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
1.9
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
2.7
|
| | |
|
2003/04
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.4
|
19 Dec 2006 : Column 1994W
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.6
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
2.0
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
3.0
|
| | |
|
2004/05
| |
|
Collectable
|
1.3
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
n/a
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
2.0
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
3.3
|
| | |
|
2005/06
| |
|
Collectable
|
0.7
|
|
Possibly uncollectable
|
0.7
|
|
Possibly uncollectable (provision)
|
0.2
|
|
Probably uncollectable
|
1.9
|
|
Deferred
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
3.5
|
Information for April 1999 to March 2006, is available via the Quarterly Summary Statistics website http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/csa.asp
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what compensation he plans to pay to people awaiting the payment of Child Support Agency arrears; and if he will make a statement. [102243]
Mr. Plaskitt:
Compensation is considered where it is the Child Support Agency's maladministration that has caused the debt to occur. The agency can consider both a consolatory payment and compensation for actual financial loss.
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many uncleared Child Support Agency applications there have been in each month since May 1997. [102274]
Mr. Plaskitt:
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many uncleared Child Support Agency applications there have been in each month since May 1997.
The attached table shows the number of uncleared applications at points in time between May 1999 and September 2006. It also provides a definition of what clearance means. For the period prior to May 1999, reliable management information on uncleared applications is not currently available. It should be noted that monthly data is only available from March 2003 and, for the period prior to this, only quarterly data can be provided.
The information provided in the table can be derived by combining information from Table 1 and Table 2.1 of the September 2006 Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons
19 Dec 2006 : Column 1995W
Library, or on the internet via the following link: www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/child_support/csa_quarterly_ sep06.asp
Although the total volume of uncleared applications, 247,500 in September 2006, is the lowest since comparable records began, the Agency recognises that this remains unacceptably high. Therefore, the Agency has a 2006/07 target to ensure that, by March 2007, the volume of new scheme uncleared applications outstanding at March 2006 is reduced by 25 per cent and our challenge, as set down in our Operational Improvement Plan, is that the Agency should not have a backlog by March 2009. I hope you find this answer helpful.
| Number of uncleared applications across both schemes between May 1999 and September 2006 |
| | Total | New scheme | Old scheme |
|
1999
| | | |
|
May
|
334,500
|
—
|
334,500
|
|
August
|
337,200
|
—
|
337,200
|
|
November
|
316,500
|
—
|
316,500
|
| | | | |
|
2000
| | | |
|
February
|
300,900
|
—
|
300,900
|
|
May
|
292,600
|
—
|
292,600
|
|
August
|
292,800
|
—
|
292,800
|
|
November
|
292,800
|
—
|
292,800
|
| | | | |
|
2001
| | | |
|
February
|
296,000
|
—
|
296,000
|
|
May
|
304,500
|
—
|
304,500
|
|
August
|
313,800
|
—
|
313,800
|
|
November
|
293,100
|
—
|
293,100
|
| | | | |
|
2002
| | | |
|
February
|
284,100
|
—
|
284,100
|
|
May
|
269,300
|
—
|
269,300
|
|
August
|
269,100
|
—
|
269,100
|
|
November
|
259,800
|
—
|
259,800
|
| | | | |
|
2003
| | | |
|
February
|
251,100
|
—
|
251,100
|
|
March
|
259,900
|
17,600
|
242,200
|
|
April
|
265,000
|
31,500
|
233,500
|
|
May
|
272,300
|
48,900
|
223,400
|
|
June
|
279,900
|
64,100
|
215,800
|
|
July
|
291,300
|
80,500
|
210,700
|
|
August
|
292,300
|
91,500
|
200,800
|
|
September
|
294,900
|
100,400
|
194,400
|
|
October
|
294,100
|
113,200
|
180,900
|
|
November
|
293,100
|
123,100
|
169,900
|
|
December
|
290,100
|
127,500
|
162,600
|
| | | | |
|
2004
| | | |
|
January
|
297,500
|
137,100
|
160,400
|
|
February
|
298,500
|
144,700
|
153,800
|
|
March
|
298,000
|
156,000
|
142,000
|
|
April
|
294,000
|
158,300
|
135,700
|
|
May
|
295,600
|
170,000
|
125,500
|
|
June
|
298,900
|
179,300
|
119,600
|
|
July
|
300,800
|
186,600
|
114,200
|
|
August
|
307,500
|
197,000
|
110,500
|
|
September
|
309,200
|
204,400
|
104,800
|
|
October
|
313,400
|
211,400
|
102,000
|
|
November
|
316,400
|
217,300
|
99,100
|
19 Dec 2006 : Column 1996W
|
December
|
320,700
|
222,500
|
98,200
|
| | | | |
|
2005
| | | |
|
January
|
317,700
|
225,400
|
92,400
|
|
February
|
309,400
|
227,800
|
81,600
|
|
March
|
303,100
|
226,400
|
76,600
|
|
April
|
300,700
|
225,800
|
74,900
|
|
May
|
294,100
|
223,500
|
70,500
|
|
June
|
289,000
|
222,300
|
66,700
|
|
July
|
285,700
|
221 ,200
|
64,500
|
|
August
|
281,700
|
218,900
|
62,800
|
|
September
|
279,800
|
219,300
|
60,500
|
|
October
|
278,700
|
221,700
|
57,000
|
|
November
|
274,900
|
218,800
|
56,000
|
|
December
|
270,600
|
215,100
|
55,400
|
| | | | |
|
2006
| | | |
|
January
|
270,900
|
216,300
|
54,500
|
|
February
|
275,100
|
221,000
|
54,100
|
|
March
|
274,600
|
221,700
|
52,900
|
|
April
|
269,400
|
217,200
|
52,200
|
|
May
|
267,200
|
215,400
|
51,800
|
|
June
|
263,800
|
212,400
|
51,400
|
|
July
|
256,300
|
205,100
|
51,200
|
|
August
|
252,600
|
203,200
|
49,300
|
|
September
|
247,500
|
200,500
|
47,100
|
Notes:
1. A potential new application is cleared when it:
has had a calculation and a payment arrangement set up (new scheme only);
has had an assessment (old scheme only);
has been closed (both schemes);
has been identified as having had a good cause decision accepted (both schemes);
has been identified as being subject to a reduced benefit decision (both schemes);
has been identified as a change of circumstances to an existing case, as opposed to a new application (new scheme only).
An application remains uncleared until it achieves one of the states above.
2. The old scheme began in February 1993. The new scheme began in March 2003. There are no reliable data on uncleared applications prior to May 1999.
3. Of the 47,100 old scheme applications still awaiting clearance, 23,900 are on the old Child Support Computer System (CSCS) and 23,100 on the new Child Support 2 (CS2) computer system. Of the 23,900 applications on CSCS 23,000 are suspended, principally because the agency has been unable to trace the non-resident parent. Similar types of applications will be included in work in progress on CS2 (for both old and new scheme applications), but the volumes cannot currently be quantified.
4. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 100. For this reason, total applications may not always appear to equal new scheme applications plus old scheme applications.
5. This table counts applications for Child Support. Not all applications become live cases. It is not possible to quantify the extent to which the agency’s clerical new-scheme caseload is or is not included in the above numbers.
|
