§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to propose that(a) the amount of child maintenance paid by an absent parent will be taken into consideration when other benefits are calculated and (b) those parents who can afford less than £2.30 a week in maintenance payments should be zero rated.
§ Mr. BurtWe have no such plans.
If an absent parent's maintenance liability were to be deducted from his income before his entitlement to income-related benefits was assessed, this would mean that his benefit entitlement was higher and was, in effect, contributing towards the maintenance payment. Also, since maintenance is assessed on the basis of an absent parent's income including any income-related benefits, the higher benefit entitlement should lead to a higher maintenance liability, producing a circular effect.
The Government believe that it is right that absent parents should normally make some contribution towards the support of their children. The minimum amount, currently £2.30 a week, is payable where assessed maintenance is less than £2.30 or where the absent parent is on income support. However, absent parents who should pay the minimum amount are exempted where, for example, they are sick or disabled or are themselves bringing up a child; most of those on income support, and all those on family credit, are exempted.