HC Deb 18 January 1994 vol 235 cc553-4W
Mr. Spellar

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the level of benefit savings achieved in 1992–93 when the child support unit was acting as a shadow agency taking responsibility for the collection of existing child maintenance.

Mr. Burt

The child support unit achieved benefit savings of £313 million.

Mr. Spellar

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how the Child Support Agency takes into consideration for housing expenditure loans which have been taken out in order to provide handicapped accommodation.

Mr. Burt

Where a loan is taken out to purchase a property, the interest and capital repayments are taken into account in calculating the parent's essential expenditure. If the parent or his partner is disabled, there is no upper limit to the amount allowed. The costs of a loan are also allowed where it is taken out for improvements to a property which a child support officer considers reasonable in the circumstances.

Mr. Spellar

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration has been given to introducing a level of disregard of income from invalidity benefit and disabled living allowance for Child Support Agency assessments.

Mr. Burt

Disability living allowance, which recognises the special care and mobility needs of disabled people, is disregarded in full in the assessment of child maintenance. Invalidity benefit, which is payable to people who have been incapable of work for more than 28 weeks through illness, is taken into account in the same way as net earnings would be if the parent were working.

Our proposed increase in the "protected income" provided for in the assessment of child support maintenance liability means that an absent parent whose only source of income is invalidity benefit will not be required to pay maintenance.

Mr. Mudie

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many copies of "The Proposed Changes to Child Support Maintenance" were published; when they were printed; and at what cost.

Mr. Burt

Five hundred thousand copies of "The Proposed Changes to Child Support Maintenance" were published. These were printed at the beginning of January at a total cost of £21,691—zero VAT.