§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the details of how the right of appeal will apply in cases where 20 per cent. of the income support personal allowance is deducted from caring parents on76W income support or family credit who do not provide information for pursuit of maintenance from absent parents.
§ Mr. JackAs part of the Government's proposals for reforming the system of child maintenance, the Child Support Bill, introduced on 14 February in another place, provides for a reduction in the income support personal allowance of caring parents on income support or family credit who, without good cause, fail to provide information which will allow maintenance to be recovered from an absent parent. The White Paper "Children Come First" proposed that the reduction should be up to 20 per cent. of the adult income support allowance. In cases to which this reduction applies, the decision will be taken by an adjudication officer on the basis of an opinion from the Secretary of State together with any representations from the person concerned. As with other such decisions, there will be the right of appeal to a social security appeal tribunal and thereafter, on a point of law, to the social security commissioner.