Child Support Act 1991: Reduced Benefit Directions (Hansard, 20 April 2000)

§ Earl Russell
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they hold on the outcomes of Reduced Benefit Directions under the Child Support Act 1991; and, in particular, when parents with care ultimately chose to co-operate, what was the average length of time they were subject to a reduced benefit direction before deciding to do so. [HL2020]

§ Baroness Hollis of Heigham
The information is not available in the form requested. Such information about the duration of reduced benefit directions a s is available is in the table.

Numbers of Quarters that Parents with Care on Income Support have a Reduced Benefit Direction RBD)

No. of Quarterly Scans Range (No. of Quarters) No. of PWcs on IS with an RBD (grossed)

1 0–2 37,000

2 1–3 15,000

3 2–4 5,000

4 3–5 6,000

5 4–6 4,000

6 5–7 13,000

7–11 6–12 1,000

Total 81,000

Notes:

¹Average (mean) number of quarters RBD imposed is 2.6 (34 weeks).

² Figures based on 5 per cent scan of Income Support Computer System at quarterly intervals February, May, August, November from April 1993 to 30 November 1999.

³Range refers to the duration that the RBD could have been imposed, given that the scan does not identify the exact date it was imposed and lifted.

⁴Number of cases where RBD is lifted may not necessarily be because parents with care co-operate. For example, they may go off benefit. The scan does not identify the reason the RBD is lifted.

§ Earl Russell
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the incidence among parents with care, who have been subject to a reduced benefit direction, of (a) theft; (b) prostitution; (c) serious 135WA illness; and (d) disappearance from Government records, and how these figures compare with those for the adult population as a whole; and [HL2021]
What proportion of parents with care who have been subject to a reduced benefit direction, and have subsequently agreed to co-operate, have been victims of domestic violence; and how this figure compares with figures for the population as a whole. [HL2022]

§ Baroness Hollis of Heigham
The information requested is not available. However, reduced benefit directions are only imposed where a parent with care refuses to co-operate with the Child Support Agency without good cause.

Numbers of Quarters that Parents with Care on Income Support have a Reduced Benefit Direction RBD)
No. of Quarterly Scans	Range (No. of Quarters)	No. of PWcs on IS with an RBD (grossed)
1	0–2	37,000
2	1–3	15,000
3	2–4	5,000
4	3–5	6,000
5	4–6	4,000
6	5–7	13,000
7–11	6–12	1,000
	Total	81,000
Notes:
¹Average (mean) number of quarters RBD imposed is 2.6 (34 weeks).
² Figures based on 5 per cent scan of Income Support Computer System at quarterly intervals February, May, August, November from April 1993 to 30 November 1999.
³Range refers to the duration that the RBD could have been imposed, given that the scan does not identify the exact date it was imposed and lifted.
⁴Number of cases where RBD is lifted may not necessarily be because parents with care co-operate. For example, they may go off benefit. The scan does not identify the reason the RBD is lifted.