§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total staffing cost of the Child Support Agency during each year since 1992–93. [2219]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellThe administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 7 December 1995:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the staffing costs of the Child Support Agency.The staff costs are as follows:
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£million 1992–93 40.098 1993–94 78.761 1994–95 107.244 It is important to emphasize that comparisons between these figures are not possible for the following reasons:
- 1. The 1992–93 figure is a cash cost only whereas the 1993–94 and 1994–95 are on a 'full cost' basis as reported in the Agency's Accounts.
- 2. The 1992–93 figures cover the period before the Agency was launched and as such only include the liable relative field staff, the project staff and the first recruits into Hastings and Dudley centres. It does not include any proportion of the corporate overheads.
- 3. The 1993–94 figures do not include the full year costs of Plymouth and Birkenhead centres as these were not opened or fully staffed until late 1993.
- 4. The Agency has taken on work which was previously covered by the Lord Chancellor's Department (L.C.D.) and no comparative figures for the cost savings which have been made within this Department are available.
I hope this is helpful.
§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a month by month breakdown of the benefit savings achieved by the Child Support
Benefit savings—April 1995 to September 1995 £ million Category of benefit savings April 1995 May 1995 June 1995 July 1995 August 1995 September 1995 YTD 1995/96 Resulting from pre-CSA assessments: Paid through Agency collection service to Secretary of State 0.25 0.19 0.29 0.40 0.21 0.24 1.57 Resulting from CSA and pre-CSA assessments: Paid direct by absent parent to parent with care 10.67 11.19 10.83 11.08 11.19 10.74 65.69 Resulting from CSA assessments: Paid through Agency collection service to Secretary of State 4.11 5.58 5.36 4.73 5.16 5.21 30.16 Deductions from Absent Parent's Income support payments 0.45 0.87 0.73 0.68 0.72 0.73 4.18 Income Support claim cessations Maintenance exceeds rate of benefit 0.96 0.75 0.62 0.63 0.77 0.57 4.30 Income Support claim withdrawn within four weeks of CSA action 12.82 14.35 14.85 11.51 12.40 15.06 80.99 Reductions in Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance resulting from CSA assessments 1.32 1.35 1.48 1.27 1.23 1.498.14 Housing Benefit/Council Tax reductions resulting from CSA assessments Calculated retrospectively at the end of the year Total 30.58 34.28 34.16 30.30 31.67 34.04 195.03
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Benefit savings—April 1994 to March 1995 £million Category of benefit savings April 1994 May 1994 June 1994 July 1994 August 1994 September 1994 October 1994 November 1994 December 1994 January 1995 February 1995 March 1995 YTD 94/95 Resulting from pre—CSA assessment: Paid direct by absent parent to parent with care 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.59 10.36 10.42 9.84 10.41 10.16 8.76 9.11 119.64 Paid through Agency collection service to Secretary of State 1.25 1.10 0.99 0.94 0.71 0.68 0.47 -0.11 0.34 0.51 0.31 0.06 7.23 Resulting from CSA assessment: Paid direct by absent parent to parent with care 0.80 0.80 0.80 0.80 1.46 1.37 1.13 1.23 1.01 1.08 1.29 1.99 13.76 Agency from April 1994 until the latest month available using the same headings as in his answer of 19 July 1995, Official Report, column 1499. [3205]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellThe administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 7 December 1995:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about benefit savings.The tables attached show the monthly breakdown from April 1994 to September 1995. I wrote to you in July of this year giving a breakdown of the benefit savings collected from 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995. I then replied to your Question on 16 November 1995 giving updated figures to 30 September 1995.The tables show that in 1994/95 the Agency recorded savings of £480.60 million. So far this year the Agency has recorded savings of £195.03 million, but this does not include savings from Housing Benefit and Council tax which will be calculated later in the year.I hope this is helpful.435W
Benefit savings—April 1994 to March 1995 £ million Category of benefit savings April 1994 May 1994 June 1994 July 1994 August 1994 September 1994 October 1994 November 1994 December 1994 January 1994 February 1994 March 1994 YTD 1994 Paid through Agency collection service to Secretary of State 1.78 1.82 2.36 3.08 3.43 3.75 3.53 4.30 3.88 4.52 5.85 9.6 547.94 Deductions from Absent Parent's Income support payments 0.37 0.45 0.52 0.11 0.20 0.17 0.23 0.30 0.24 0.17 0.37 0.4 63.59 Income Support claim cessations Maintenance exceeds 1.66 1.23 2.36 4.24 2.33 1.60 1.31 2.62 1.52 1.57 1.85 1.55 23.83 Income Support claim cessations Maintenance exceeds rate of benefit 1.66 1.23 2.36 4.24 15.40 16.45 17.26 17.13 11.15 13.81 15.10 18.47 199.53 Income Support claim withdrawn within four weeks of CSA action 18.80 19.92 21.14 14.90 15.40 16.45 17.26 17.13 11.15 13.81 15.10 18.47 199.53 Reductions in Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance monthly breakdown not available 12.84 Housing Benefit/ Council Tax resulting from CSA assessments Monthly breakdown not available 52.25 Total 34.65 35.31 38.17 34.07 34.12 34.38 34.34 35.32 28.55 31.80 33.53 41.28 480.60
§ Mr. SpellarTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many deduction of earning orders have been issued during 1995 by the Child Support Agency. [3520]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellThe administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. John Spellar, dated 7 December 1995:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Deduction from Earnings Orders.Between April and the end of September 1995 22,066 Orders had been issued. You may be interested to know that this information is available in the Child Support Agency Statistical Information report, which is placed monthly in the Library.I hope this is helpful.