Child Support Agency (Hansard, 15 June 1994)

§ Mr. Burt

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Dr. Tony Wright, dated 15 June 1994: I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about customer complaints received by the Child Support Agency. 580W Your have asked for details of the number of such complaints received, the Agency's target time for dealing with complaints and how many have been dealt with in that time. The Agency's Charter contains a stated aim to acknowledge written complaints within two days of receipt and respond to complaints within 10 working days. From 5 April to 31 March 1994, a total of 10,886 complaints were recorded and, of these, 4,910 were cleared within 10 working days. The first year of the Agency's operations has stimulated a great deal of activity and I am aware that our performance in this area falls below the standard we aim to provide for clients. As part of the normal management process we are continually examining ways in which our service to clients can be improved. The Agency's computerised complaints monitoring system is under development and it is planned to introduce it later this year. Your ask about the redress available where a client is dissatisfied with the way a complaint had been handled. The Agency's Charter explains that where something has gone wrong, the Agency will be happy to apologise, give an explanation and put the matter right. The client can speak or write to the Customer Services Manager in the centre dealing with the case. If they are not satisfied they can write directly to the manager of the centre or, ultimately, to the Chief Executive. The Agency has conducted an internal review of its complaints monitoring procedures as part of an ongoing arrangement to examine various management issues. There are no plans to publish a report. I hope this is helpful.