HC Deb 18 December 2003 vol 415 cc1089-90W
Vera Baird

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when the new system for calculating child maintenance will be implemented with regard to existing cases; [144849]

(2) what steps he is taking to remove differences in treatment of child support assessments between existing and new cases. [144857]

Mr. Pond

We will make a decision on the transfer of old scheme cases once we are sure that the new scheme is working well.

Vera Baird

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what order the process of moving Child Support Agency maintenance cases onto the new system of assessment will be introduced in the regions. [144850]

Mr. Pond

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Wycombe (Paul Goodman) on 3 December 2003,Official Report, column 83W.

Mr. Goodman

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people paying child support under the new scheme who will be overpaying for(a) a year, (b) two years, (c) three years, (d) four years and (e) five years as a result of phasing in; [143519]

(2) what estimate he has made of the average amount per year which people paying child support under the new scheme will be overpaying as a result of phasing in. [143522]

Mr. Pond

No one will overpay as a result of phasing. The phasing provisions are set in legislation. They give parents who have existing child support assessments time to adjust to the new amounts.

Mr. Goodman

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the loss incurred by each parent each month whose Child Support Agency case is not transferred from the old to the new scheme; [143520]

(2) whether parents who are incurring losses as a result of Child Support Agency cases not being transferred to the new scheme are entitled to compensation; and if he will make a statement. [143521]

Mr. Pond

Until the new scheme legislation is commenced for the bulk of the old scheme caseload, old scheme cases remain subject to the old rules, and so the question of loss does not arise.