§ Mr. HealeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many men who have made maintenance payments through the CSA have requested a reimbursement following a DNA test that proved they were not the biological father; and in how many of these cases the payments have been reimbursed; [64465]
(2) what plans his Department has to review the guidelines in respect of reimbursement for men who have made maintenance payments and subsequently been proved, following a DNA test, not to be the biological father; [64467]
(3) how many men who have made maintenance payments under the court order system have requested a reimbursement following a DNA test that proved they were not the biological father; and in how many of these cases the payments have been reimbursed. [64466]
§ Angela EagleNeither the Child Support Agency nor the Court Services Agency routinely collect statistics on the number of fathers who have requested or received a reimbursement of child maintenance following a DNA test that indicated they were not the father. However, the 717W Child Support Agency estimates that there have been 74 cases where a child support assessment has been cancelled by the Agency because the non-resident parent has subsequently been determined not to be the father of the qualifying child.
The outcome of the consultation process on the Green Paper "Children First: a new approach to child support", together with our detailed proposals for reforming the Child Support System, will be announced in due course.