Maintenance (Hansard, 5 February 1990)

§ 60. Dame Peggy Fenner
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to bring forward proposals resulting from his review of the maintenance system.

§ 65. Mr. Sumberg
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to bring forward proposals to impose tighter controls on the payment of maintenance by divorced and separated fathers.

§ 70. Mr. Nicholas Bennett
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to bring forward proposals resulting from his review of the maintenance system.

§ 73. Mr. Stanbrook
To ask the Secretary of of State for Social Security when he expects to bring forward proposals resulting from his review of the maintenance system.

§ Dr. Michael Clark
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to bring forward proposals resulting from his review of the maintenance system.
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§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard
The Government are very concerned about the number of lone parent families on benefit who receive little or no maintenance. This situation is certainly not unique to the United Kingdom and we are examining systems operating abroad to see if there are any lessons for us there. In addition, the survey which we are setting in hand with my noble and learned Friends the Lord Chancellor and Lord Advocate and my right hon. and learned Friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Scotland will provide full and up-to-date information about the effectiveness of the current maintenance system. This will then give us a sound and firm base for setting the way forward.
Approximately 12,000 cases will be examined in a sample of courts and DSS local offices to gather data on the amounts of maintenance which courts order absent parents to pay, what is actually paid and when, details of the absent and custodial parents⁹ means, and the cost of the current system in terms of court costs, DSS staff costs and benefit spending. Information taken from individual cases will be treated in full confidence in the normal way as for any research. The survey, which will first be piloted, will be completed in the summer. We certainly intend to act as quickly as possible to improve maintenance arrangements. What we do and when will depend on the results of the survey, and if radical reforms are indicated we would want to consult widely.
In the meantime, as we announced last week, we are taking action to improve the maintenance collected under the existing system. In 1988–89 the DSS recovered £155 million from absent parents. In 1989–90 the target is £180 million and we look set to achieve it. From next year, we expect to increase that figure to over £200 million by changing our procedures. We intend to strengthen the basis on which local offices assess absent parents' ability to pay maintenance. At present we do not expect the maintenance paid to reduce an absent parent's income below, in broad terms, income support level plus full housing costs plus 25 per cent. of net earnings. We are reducing that 25 per cent. margin to 15 per cent. Where a reasonable agreement cannot be reached the final decision on the amount payable will rest, as it does now, with the courts.