§ Dame Jill KnightTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what improvements Her Majesty's Government have introduced to help the single parent obtain maintenance payments.
§ Mr. JackThe Government have taken a number of steps to help parents obtain maintenance for their 441W children. This Department has enhanced its action on recovery of maintenance for those claiming income support. For instance, we have improved our instructions on the interviewing of mothers who have never been married about the identity of the absent father. We have also introduced a number of measures that apply to all lone parents, whether divorced, separated or never married. We have strengthened the basis on which local social security offices assess absent parents' ability to pay maintenance. We have improved our ability to trace missing parents by reaching an agreement with the Inland Revenue to provide the address of an absent parent and the absent parent's employer. The Social Security Act 1990 gave the Department new powers to seek to include the costs of caring for children in orders obtained by the DSS for children, to transfer an order for a child obtained by the Department to a caring parent who leaves income support, and to enforce a caring parent's own private maintenance order. We have made clear the importance to be attached to this work in local offices and set targets to increase the amount recovered. In addition, the Home Office has introduced the Maintenance Enforcement Bill, which seeks to improve arrangements for paying maintenance under the current system.
For the future, we have introduced the Child Support Bill, which aims to replace the present child maintenance system, which is fragmented, uncertain in its results, slow and ineffective, with a Child Support Agency which will use a formula to calculate child maintenance. This will be available to all seeking child maintenance and it is hoped that it will be fully operational by 1995.
Single person (aged 25 or over) £ per week Assumed rent 19.15 Assumed community charge 6.61
Gross earnings Tax National insurance Take home pay Rent rebate Community charge benefit Total net income Net income after rent and community charge £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week 60.00 0.55 2.18 57.27 9.03 2.95 69.25 43.49 80.00 5.55 3.98 70.47 0.00 0.97 71.44 45.68 100.00 10.55 5.78 83.67 0.00 0.00 83.67 57.91 120.00 15.55 7.58 96.87 0.00 0.00 96.87 71.11 140.00 20.55 9.38 110.07 0.00 0.00 110.07 84.31 160.00 25.55 11.18 123.27 0.00 0.00 123.27 97.57 180.00 30.55 12.98 136.47 0.00 0.00 136.47 110.71 200.00 35.55 14.78 149.67 0.00 0.00 149.67 123.91
Married couple £ per week Assumed rent 19.15 Assumed community charge 13.22
Gross earnings Tax National insurance Take home pay Rent rebate Community charge benefit Total net income Net income after rent and community charge £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week 60.00 0.00 2.18 57.82 19.15 10.58 87.55 55.18 80.00 0.00 3.98 76.02 13.68 9.31 99.01 66.64 100.00 2.28 5.78 91.94 3.33 6.93 102.20 69.83 120.00 7.28 7.58 105.14 0.00 4.95 110.09 77.72 140.00 12.28 9.38 118.34 0.00 2.97 121.31 88.94 160.00 17.28 11.18 131.54 0.00 0.99 132.53 100.16 180.00 22.28 12.98 144.74 0.00 0.00 144.74 112.37 200.00 27.28 14.78 157.94 0.00 0.00 157.94 125.57