§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
How the Child Support Agency, in applying its formula, calculates commissions, bonuses and performance-related pay, and whether its practice in these matters is governed by any legal authority, or whether it is based solely on discretion.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Viscount Astor)Child Support Officers calculate the earnings of an absent parent and of a parent with care according to rules prescribed in the Child Support (Maintenance Assessments and Special Cases) Regulations 1992. Commission, bonuses and performance-related pay are included in this calculation. Where commission and bonuses are paid in respect of a longer period than the period covered by the pay instrument on which they appear, an average weekly amount is based on payments received over a period of 52 weeks.