|

Child Support

Angela Watkinson (Upminster) (Con): What his latest estimate is of when he will approve the transfer of all old cases to the new system at the Child Support Agency. [218091]

13. Dr. Nick Palmer (Broxtowe) (Lab): If he will make a statement on progress in the transition to the new Child Support Agency system. [218094]

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Alan Johnson): Under the new scheme, just under a quarter of a million applications had been cleared by September 2004 and over 33,000 first child maintenance premium payments had been made.

As I said to the Select Committee on Work and Pensions, this area is at the top of my agenda. We have been working hard with Electronic Data Systems to overcome the computer difficulties. I intend to report back to Parliament following the next software release. We know that much more work still needs to be done and I am keen that we should explore a variety of improvement solutions.

Click here for Hansard

[...]

Angela Watkinson: The Secretary of State will know that many absent fathers trapped on the old system are paying so much of their income in CSA payments that they barely have enough left to live on, and certainly not enough to take advantage of their access rights. The best advice that the CSA can offer them is that they give up their jobs and go on to benefits. Clearly, that is to nobody's advantage—not the men themselves, nor the children nor the community at large. This situation cannot go on. Something has to be done about it urgently.

Alan Johnson: I would be surprised if anyone from the CSA advised such a person to go on to benefits. I know that the hon. Lady recently wrote to me about a case involving the CSA, too, and I should point out that if any such advice has been given, it is wrong and should be countered. In terms of the difficulties experienced with the CSA, no one should be exempt from criticism—neither me nor anyone in this House—except the CSA staff, who have tried hard to cope in very difficult circumstances. They should be applauded, but if there are occasions when the wrong advice has been given, I want to know about them so that we can deal with the situation immediately.

Click here for Hansard