HC Deb 15 July 1998 vol 316 cc200-1W
Miss Kirkbride

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will estimate the increase in the number of absent fathers who will pay their maintenance assessment as a result of the proposed simplification of the operation of the Child Support Agency. [49648]

Mr. Keith Bradley

A simpler child support system will mean less time spent assessing maintenance and more time collecting and enforcing payment.

We estimate that the proposals in the Green Paper "Children First: a new Approach to child support" (Cm 3992) will result in an increase in cash compliance from the current level of around 66 per cent. to 80 per cent. or more.

Under the current arrangements only around 200,000 non-resident parents are paying maintenance where the parent with care is on Income Support. We expect this figure to more than double under a simpler scheme.

Miss Kirkbride

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will estimate the number of absent parents whose maintenance assessment will increase as a result of the proposals to reform the Child Support Agency. [49649]

Mr. Keith Bradley

We estimate that around 27 per cent. of non-resident parents in work and with a maintenance assessment under the current formula (about 100,000 based on the current caseload of the Child Support Agency) would have a higher maintenance assessment under the proposals for a simpler formula set out in the Green Paper "Children First: a new approach to child support" (Cm 3992). Changes in liability for current cases will be phased in.

The Green Paper also proposes that most of the current provisions for exemption from the minimum payment should be abolished. We estimate, in current terms, that this would result in a further 60,000 non-resident parents receiving benefit becoming liable for the minimum payment.

Children will be better-off, financially and emotionally, if non-resident parents meet their responsibilities. Our proposals for a child maintenance premium for parents with care receiving Income Support will mean that children in these families will see a direct financial gain from the payment of maintenance.