Child Support Agency (Hansard, 8 February 1995)

§ Mr. Ingram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the percentage of cases cleared by individual Child Support Agency centres during the first two quarters of 1994–95 (a) in under 40 days, (b) between 40 days and 100 days and (c) in over 100 days; and when he expects to be able to provide detailed information on the average time taken for each stage of the assessment process.

§ Mr. Burt
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief Executive. She will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 8 February 1995: I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency's clearance times for the maintenance application process. The information you require is shown in the tables in Annex A. Table 1 includes figures on all cases cleared by the Agency, many of which have been outstanding for a long period. Table 2 provides details of the average time taken for each stage of the assessment process. I hope that this is helpful.

ANNEX A

Table. 1 Time taken to clear the percentage of cases across all Child Support Agency Centres 1st quarter: April to June 1994

Child support area centre 40 days or less Per cent. More than 40 days, less than 100 days Per cent. More than 100 days Per cent.

Belfast 45.63 27.63 34.41

Birkenhead 58.72 17.04 24.25

Dudley 45.63 19.66 34.71

Falkirk 34.68 30.52 34.81

Hastings 42.27 21.00 36.74

Plymouth 27.97 24.35 47.7

Agency 41.2 23.37 35.43

2nd quarter: July to September 1994

Child support area centre 40 days or less Per cent. More than 40 days, less than 100 days Per cent. More than 100 days Per cent.

Belfast 38.85 19.21 41.95

Birkenhead 56.11 9.89 34.00

Dudley 43.68 11.82 44.51

Falkirk 43.34 8.03 48.63

Hastings 36.51 15.96 47.53

Plymouth 30.53 11.31 58.16

Agency 41.50 12.7 45.8

Table 2. Average times taken for each stage of the Agency's assessment process.

Stages of assessment process Average time (days)

Period form the issue of the maintenance application form(MAF) to the parent with care to the date it was returned to the Agency. 39

300W

Period from the return of the MAF to the Agency to the date when a maintenance enquiry form (MEF) was issued to the absent parent. 69

Period from issue of the MEF to the date it was returned to the Agency. 47

Period from the return of the MEF to the date a maintenance assessment was completed. 86

Overall period. ¹175

¹ This figure does not equal the sum of the first four stages due to the variation in sample sizes which arises when cases are withdrawn.

§ Mr. Ingram
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the 2,269 outstanding Child Support Agency cases referred to in his answer of 18 May 1994,Official Report, column 526, in which paternity was being disputed at the end of March 1994, have now been resolved; if he will consider monitoring disputed paternity cases to establish the outcomes; in how many cases dealt with by the Child Support Agency between April and October 1994 the alleged absent parent disputed paternity; how many of these cases have been resolved without reference to court; how many disputed paternity cases have been referred to court by the agency; how many cases have been heard to date; in how many paternity has been established by the court,; and what is the total number of unresolved paternity disputes to-date.

§ Mr. Burt
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 8 February 1995: I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about disputed paternity cases dealt with by the Child Support Agency. Improvements were introduced during April 1994 to the Agency's management information systems which improved the monitoring of paternity cases. As a result it has been ascertained that at the end of April 1994 there were 5,350 paternity cases on hand, just over 3,000 more than had previously been reported at the end of March 1994. Between the end of April and October 1994 there were a further 5,693 cases of disputed paternity. Of these, 4,316 cases were resolved without reference to Court. There were 178 applications to Court for a hearing, and 51 cases were heard. Paternity was established in each of these cases. At the end of October 1994, 5,976 cases were on hand, of these. 1,761 were more than 6 months old. In addition to the 51 cases where Court action was completed, there have been applications to Court for a hearing in a further 127 cases. I hope this reply is helpful.

§ Mr. Ingram
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what considerations underlay the decision to transfer from child support offices to area managers the responsibility for issuing reduced benefit directions under the requirement to co-operate procedure in the special cases sections of the regional centres; whom the Child Support Agency consulted before changing the procedure; what training has been given to area managers when taking over this responsibility; and what systems are in place for monitoring the decisions made by area managers and ensuring consistency of decision-making across the country.
301W

§ Mr. Burt
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 8 February 1995: I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the issuing of reduced benefit directions (RBDs). This work was transferred to Field offices from the Child Support Agency Centres because a degree of double handling had been identified. As is usual in such circumstances, and internal consultation exercise on the implication and viability of the measure took place. The final decision was taken by the Operations Management Team in the light of the Agency's business needs, resources available and relevant staff experience. The Trade Union Side in the Agency were kept fully informed of the changes and the appropriate technical training was given. The Agency monitors decisions on RBDs in a similar way to other adjudication decisions made by child support officers (CSOs). CSO decisions are also monitored by the Chief Child Support Officer, an independent authority, who reports annually, in writing, to the Secretary of State. I hope that this is helpful.

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give figures for the number of cases taken on by the Child Support Agency that previously involved absent parents that had paid no maintenance as a proportion of all cases for each six-month period since the establishment of the agency; and if he will give figures for the actual child maintenance paid by absent fathers as a proportion of the child maintenance paid by virtue of the work of the agency for each six-month period since the agency was founded.

§ Mr. Burt
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Rhodri Morgan, dated 8 February 1995: I am replying to you Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security on the number of absent parents (APs) who paid no maintenance for each six-month period of the Child Support Agency's operations; and the actual proportion of child maintenance paid as a result of action by the Agency. The estimated proportion of cases that involve APs who had paid no child maintenance, as a proportion of all cases, is given in the following table:

Per cent.

April 1993—September 1993 43

October 1993—March 1994 59

April 1994—September 1994 77

The gross child maintenance paid by APs via the Agency's collection service is given in the following table. This does not include cases where maintenance is paid direct by the AP to the PWC. These amount to around 20 per cent of cases dealt with by the Agency. There is no business need for the Agency to collect details of payments made in this way and it is assumed that, unless the PWC advises otherwise, payments are received regularly.
302W

£million

April 1993—September 1993 0.73

October 1993—March 1994 11.26

April 1994—September 1994 25.70

ANNEX A
Table. 1 Time taken to clear the percentage of cases across all Child Support Agency Centres 1st quarter: April to June 1994
Child support area centre	40 days or less Per cent.	More than 40 days, less than 100 days Per cent.	More than 100 days Per cent.
Belfast	45.63	27.63	34.41
Birkenhead	58.72	17.04	24.25
Dudley	45.63	19.66	34.71
Falkirk	34.68	30.52	34.81
Hastings	42.27	21.00	36.74
Plymouth	27.97	24.35	47.7
Agency	41.2	23.37	35.43

2nd quarter: July to September 1994
Child support area centre	40 days or less Per cent.	More than 40 days, less than 100 days Per cent.	More than 100 days Per cent.
Belfast	38.85	19.21	41.95
Birkenhead	56.11	9.89	34.00
Dudley	43.68	11.82	44.51
Falkirk	43.34	8.03	48.63
Hastings	36.51	15.96	47.53
Plymouth	30.53	11.31	58.16
Agency	41.50	12.7	45.8

Table 2. Average times taken for each stage of the Agency's assessment process.
Stages of assessment process	Average time (days)
Period form the issue of the maintenance application form(MAF) to the parent with care to the date it was returned to the Agency.	39

Period from the return of the MAF to the Agency to the date when a maintenance enquiry form (MEF) was issued to the absent parent.	69
Period from issue of the MEF to the date it was returned to the Agency.	47
Period from the return of the MEF to the date a maintenance assessment was completed.	86
Overall period.	¹175

	Per cent.
April 1993—September 1993	43
October 1993—March 1994	59
April 1994—September 1994	77

£million
April 1993—September 1993	0.73
October 1993—March 1994	11.26
April 1994—September 1994	25.70