New report highlights Child Support Agency failings
5th March 2010 by: David Lillywhite
An investigation by the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has revealed that the recently revamped Child Support Agency (CSA) is experiencing major administrative problems following a £107 million refit to its IT systems after its takeover by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) in 2008.
Recent figures published show that the number of cases being dealt with manually has risen from 19,000 in 2006 to an estimated 108,000 in 2009. The Committee recognised the “almost exponential rise” in the number of clerical cases and warned that without sufficient systems in place, payments and records within the CSA would suffer and increase alongside high operational costs.
While the CSA has reduced the backlog of cases from 280,000 down to 55,000, maintenance arrears still stood at £3.8 billion and in September 2009 only 53% of absent parents were paying the full amount due, with 27% failing to pay any maintenance at all. It meant that the CSA/CMEC failed to meet its targets for 2008/2009.
Measures recently introduced by CMEC, including freezing the bank accounts and seizing the property belonging to non-resident parents, have been introduced with a view to renewing public confidence in the system. However, until the organisation can rectify its current internal failings its public profile will continue to suffer, with many reluctant parents choosing not to discharge their obligations convinced their case will simply get lost in an administrative maelstrom. The need for a major restructuring of the CSA has never been greater but with an impending general election and government funds in short supply, such reform is unlikely to happen in the forseeable future, leaving many children and their carers without essential financial security.
Recent figures published show that the number of cases being dealt with manually has risen from 19,000 in 2006 to an estimated 108,000 in 2009. The Committee recognised the “almost exponential rise” in the number of clerical cases and warned that without sufficient systems in place, payments and records within the CSA would suffer and increase alongside high operational costs.
While the CSA has reduced the backlog of cases from 280,000 down to 55,000, maintenance arrears still stood at £3.8 billion and in September 2009 only 53% of absent parents were paying the full amount due, with 27% failing to pay any maintenance at all. It meant that the CSA/CMEC failed to meet its targets for 2008/2009.
Measures recently introduced by CMEC, including freezing the bank accounts and seizing the property belonging to non-resident parents, have been introduced with a view to renewing public confidence in the system. However, until the organisation can rectify its current internal failings its public profile will continue to suffer, with many reluctant parents choosing not to discharge their obligations convinced their case will simply get lost in an administrative maelstrom. The need for a major restructuring of the CSA has never been greater but with an impending general election and government funds in short supply, such reform is unlikely to happen in the forseeable future, leaving many children and their carers without essential financial security.
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