HC Deb 30 November 1998 vol 321 cc102-3W
Mr. Rendel

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many parents with care on means tested benefits are currently subject to a reduced benefit direction of 40 per cent. as a result of a non co-operation with the Child Support Agency. [61444]

Angela Eagle

All children have the right to the support of both their parents wherever they may live. Where the taxpayer is providing substantial support for children who live in lone parent families, it is right that the parent with care should normally seek child support.

Parents with care in receipt of a relevant benefit who fail to co-operate with the Child Support Agency without good cause are subject to a benefit penalty, known as a reduced benefit direction, worth 40 per cent. of the adult Income Support personal allowance. This penalty lasts initially for three years and it may be renewed immediately if the parent with care continues to fail to co-operate.

The latest available information is from the May 1998 Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries which show that 7,000 parents with care on Income Support were subject to a 40 per cent. reduction.

Figures for parents with care in receipt of Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance who are subject to a benefit reduction are not available.

The number of parents with care in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance who have a reduced benefit direction is too small to measure accurately.

Mr. Rendel

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children in families where the parent with care receives means tested benefits are in receipt of maintenance from the non-resident parent, for each region. [61451]

Angela Eagle

The information is in the table.

On 31 August 1998 we estimated that 491,400 parents with care with a full child support assessment were receiving a means tested benefit. Of these cases 108,920 received maintenance paid through the Child Support Agency (CSA) in the quarter ending 31 August 1998 and a further 71,160 had maintenance arranged for payment direct from the non-resident parent.

Parents with care by region of residence
Payment through CSA Direct payment arrangement
Region of residence Estimated number of PWCs Estimated number of children1 Estimated number of PWCs Estimated number of children
Unknown 980 1,640 1,040 1,380
North East 8,080 12,600 4,340 6,660
North West 13,720 20,560 8,040 12,540
Merseyside 2,760 3,900 2,380 3,960
Yorks and Humberside 10,280 15,680 5,760 9,060
East Midlands 7,140 11,280 4,080 6,340
West Midlands 10,780 16,020 6,640 10,720
Eastern 7,540 12,020 5.160 8,400
London 7,280 11,280 4,600 7,540
South East 12,500 20,820 8,640 13,960
South West 9,500 15,600 8,000 13,300
Wales 8,520 12,560 5,940 9,000
Scotland 9,840 15,200 6,540 10,120
Total 108,920 169,160 71,160 112,980
1 The estimate of the number of children is based on the average of 1.6 children per family

Source:

CSA Quarterly Summary of Statistics, August 1998