§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made as to the effects of the Child Support Act 1991 on the number of families entitled to(a) family credit and (b) income support, distinguishing between lone-parent families and the families paying maintenance.
§ Mr. BurtIn the long run it is estimated that increased payments of child maintenance under the Child Support Act will result in some 60,000 to 80,000 lone parent families no longer needing to rely on income support. It is expected that the majority of these will start work and be entitled to family credit. It is further estimated that around 10,000 lone parents already in receipt of family credit will move off this benefit. These estimates are based on data from the family expenditure survey for 1987, 1988 and 1989.
The Act should not have any significant effect on the number of absent parents entitled to income support or family credit.