Child Support Agency (Hansard, 26 April 1996)

§ Mr. Frank Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many full assessments have been made where the absent parent is in receipt of income support(a) in total since April 1993 and (b) in each year since April 1993; [26566]
(2) in how many cases awaiting full assessment the absent parent is in receipt of income support. [26567]

§ Mr. Andrew Mitchell
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Frank Field, dated 25 April 1996: I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency maintenance assessments. The number of cases awaiting assessment in which the absent parent is in receipt of Income Support is not known. The Agency is unable to identify the benefit status of the absent parent before completion of the maintenance assessment process, since there may be considerations that affect the benefit status between the time of receipt of the relevant maintenance form and the completion of a full maintenance assessment. However, the number of full maintenance assessments where the absent parent is in receipt of Income Support is available from a 5% scan of the live cases on the Child Support Computer System. As at 31 March 1995 there were 88,900 absent parents in receipt of Income Support and as at 30 November 1995 there were 103,900. I hope this is helpful.

§ Mr. Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many full maintenance assessments were made by the Child Support Agency(a) in total since April 1993 and (b) in each year since April 1993; [26558]
316W
(2) how many cases have been cleared without a full maintenance assessment having been made by the CSA (a) in total since April 1993, (b) each year since April 1993; [26559]
(3) into what categories cases cleared without assessment by the CSA are placed; and what are the numbers in such categories (a) since April 1993 and (b) each year since April 1993; [26560]
(4) how many cases of good cause for not co-operating with the Child Support Agency were accepted (a) in total since April 1993 and (b) in each year since April 1993; [26561]
(5) how many reduced benefit directions have been made (a) in total since April 1993 and (b) in each year since April 1993. [26562]

§ Mr. Mitchell
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Frank Field, dated 25 April 1996: I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency maintenance assessments and good cause decisions. The number of full and interim maintenance assessments made by the Agency from April 1993 to March 1996 is shown on the attached table. The table also shows the number of cases cleared due to good cause accepted, reduced benefit directions imposed and other clearances. 317W The Agency does not have a business need to record routinely all the specific reasons why a case is cleared other than by a maintenance assessment, so we cannot provide a more detailed breakdown of these cases. Other reasons for clearances without a maintenance assessment include the following:- benefit ceased—for a variety of reasons MAF withdrawal: including reconciliation cases and those where the PWC has requested cancellation (e.g. in private cases) no qualifying child

Number of cases with:— 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 Total from April 1993

Full maintenance assessments 132,139 187,220 110,187 429,546

Without full maintenance assessments (interim) 73,303 63,616 17,689 154,608

Other clearances 130,790 317,313 198,978 647,081

Good cause accepted 31,749 41,666 38,963 ¹112,378

Reduced benefit directions imposed n/a n/a 27,478 ¹27,478

¹ These cases form part of the 'Other clearances'.

§ Mr. Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases have there been where the parent with care has made no contact with the CSA after issue of the maintenance application form.[26563]

§ Mr. Mitchell
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Frank Field, dated 25 April 1996. I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency maintenance application forms. Full details of the numbers of parents with care who have currently made no contact with the Agency after the issue of a maintenance application form are not available as local Field offices (where the bulk of pre maintenance assessment work is now carried out) do not have access to the full functionality of the Child Support Computer System (CSCS). However, all CSCS functions will be provided to the Field offices on a phased basis beginning later this year. The figures that are available show that in April 1995, the six Child Support Agency Centres had 98,000 such cases, and this has now reduced to 68,000. In all cases, other than the 16,000 cases that were temporarily deferred at the beginning of 1995, where a maintenance application form is not returned, the Agency takes the following steps: Where a prescribed benefit is in payment, after 14 days the Agency issues a reminder. If there is still no contact from the parent with care, the Agency tries to make contact to establish if a Good Cause investigation is appropriate. If there is still no contact from the parent with care or Good Cause is not accepted, a reduced benefit direction is considered. Where a private client does not return a maintenance application form, the requirement to cooperate condition does not apply. In such cases the Agency sends a reminder to the client after two weeks; if there is still no reply, the Agency can take no further action and no follow up contact is made. I hope this is helpful.

§ Mr. Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many parents with care who had not returned their maintenance application forms to the CSA had their cases deferred in December 1994. [26564]

§ Mr. Mitchell
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
318W
no jurisdiction death of AP, PWC or qualifying child Information on reduced benefit directions imposed became available in 1995–96; prior to this figures were not collected. You may be interested to know that information for 1994–95 and 1995–96 on full maintenance assessments, interim maintenance assessments, other clearances, good cause accepted and reduced benefit directions implemented is shown in the CSA Statistical Information placed in the House of Commons Library every month. I hope this is helpful.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Frank Field, dated 25 April 1996: I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency deferred cases. 16,000 cases were referred during the period January to March 1995 as a result of the parent with care not returning their maintenance application form (MAF) where the MAF had been issued before July 1994. These cases, where action has been deferred at the present time, should not be confused with the deferred take-on of pre-Agency existing income support cases. The cases where a maintenance application form has not been fully completed or returned have had action on them deferred until further notice. However, they remain on the books and can be re-started at the request of the client. I hope this is helpful.

Number of cases with:—	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	Total from April 1993
Full maintenance assessments	132,139	187,220	110,187	429,546
Without full maintenance assessments (interim)	73,303	63,616	17,689	154,608
Other clearances	130,790	317,313	198,978	647,081
Good cause accepted	31,749	41,666	38,963	¹112,378
Reduced benefit directions imposed	n/a	n/a	27,478	¹27,478
¹ These cases form part of the 'Other clearances'.