§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they accept the recommendation of the House of Commons Social Security Select Committee that reviews and appeals under the Child Support Act 1991 should be processed within 28 days.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Viscount Astor)The Government do not accept the recommendation of the Social Security Select Committee that a target time of 28 days for appeals be included in the agency charter. The figure of 28 days referred to is not the target time for completion of the process, but is, in fact, the time allowed for a parent to lodge an appeal, following a decision of a child support officer.
The time taken to complete the entire process is not a matter over which the agency has full control; most of the appeal process is conducted by the Independent Tribunal Service.
The agency does, however, have an internal target of 18 days for submitting evidence to the tribunal service.
§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Child Support Agency has any procedure for notifying its enforcement arm that review or appeal procedures are pending, and whether it is its policy to defer enforcement proceedings until reviews or appeals are determined.
Viscount AstorIt is not policy automatically to defer enforcement proceedings until reviews or appeals are determined. Before taking the decision to enforce payments of child maintenance, Child Support Agency staff, on behalf of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State have regard to all the individual circumstances of the case, including the nature of any review or appeal. However, to suspend enforcement action automatically in cases where review or appeal procedures were pending would create a perverse incentive for absent parents to defer their liability to pay child maintenance by requesting a review.