§ Ms DrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the(a) earliest and (b) latest date is on which the new CSA rules will be applied to existing CSA cases; and if he will make a statement on how the new CSA arrangements will be phased in for existing cases. [160683]
§ Angela EagleThe new child support scheme will be introduced for new cases by April 2002. Existing cases will be moved on to the new scheme when it is seen to be working well and maintenance is being paid regularly and reliably to new cases.
To give parents who have existing child support assessments time to adjust to the new amounts, child support liability will be phased over a period of five years and in stages of £2.50, £5 or £10, depending on the non-resident parent's net weekly income.