New Child Support Agency may repeat errors of old, warns CAS

PRESS RELEASE

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is warning that government moves to reform the beleaguered Child Support Agency may simply replicate existing problems.

In a briefing sheet sent to MPs this week, CAS predicts that, unless problems of poor communications and inflexible payments are addressed, the system will still trap parents and families in severe financial hardship.

Children from separated families are currently owed more than £3.5bn in maintenance payments administered by the agency; of 750,000 non-resident parents liable, only 61 per cent had made any payments by last September.

In December, the government announced that the agency is to be replaced by a new Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

Kaliani Lyle, chief executive of CAS, said Citizens Advice Bureaux welcomed the direction of reform.  “While the Child Support Agency has assisted some families and children, poor responsiveness on their part has increased financial hardship for others,” she said. “Delays mean that money is not getting to the families and children that need it most.”

The Child Support Agency has been plagued by problems and errors since it was launched in 1993.

CAB clients in Scotland have reported numerous problems arising from conflicting and confusing information, difficulties contacting case-workers, inappropriate enforcement action, and money not being passed on to parents even when it has been collected.

CAB evidence highlights:

• A CAB client who should have been receiving maintenance of £26.50 per week but did not, even though the CSA had collected the money from her ex-partner. The funds were not released, the CSA did not explain why and did not return phone calls.
• A CAB client whose case required to be re-assessed by the CSA – despite supplying all requested information, the case was not re-assessed.  Over a period of six months, neither the client nor the CAB acting on his behalf could reach a caseworker with knowledge of the case.
• A CAB client who had been making regular maintenance payments was made redundant.  When he started a new job his wages were seized due to ‘non-payment’, and it took the CSA months to catch up with his changing circumstances.
• A CAB client was sent a letter stating he had no arrears and, three months later another notice of arrears of £324, despite having made all required payments.  Two separate caseworkers were unable to help and the miscalculated debt could not be cancelled.
• A CAB client who was sent letters informing her that her claim was cancelled.  When telephoned, the CSA said the claim was not cancelled and that the client should put further letters in the bin.
• A West of Scotland CAB reports of a case of a client whose maintenance payments were not passed on by the CSA.  Over a period of ten months the CAB and the client were given six different telephone numbers.  Several times the CSA insisted that the ‘computer error’ had been fixed, and the client would start receiving payments.  The client was assigned to three new caseworkers in the ten months.  The CAB helped the client write a letter of complaint and claim for compensation, but these have not been acknowledged.

Ms Lyle said: “The new Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission’s work will be vital to the aim of eradicating child poverty.  Many separated parents may be dealing with difficult family situations and, in order to deal with them effectively, Commission staff will need to be more sensitive and flexible.

“We are urging that steps are taken to ensure collected payments are passed on, with emergency funds available when there are delays.  We also want to see greater flexibility to adjust payment levels in complex or changing circumstances, and improved case-management and communication with clients.

“We are also concerned that financial assessments based on last year’s income, will not provide the flexibility required to meet the needs of this client group.”

Notes for News Editors

1. Each CAB is an independent charity, run by a committee of local people, and responsible for raising its own funding.
2. Around 80 per cent of CAB workers are trained volunteers – if you’d like to help your local community for just a few hours each week, contact your local bureau manager, or volunteer through the CAS website – www.cas.org.uk
3. The first bureaux in Scotland were established in 1939 as a wartime information service.  There are now 76 CAB offices across Scotland, which operate from over 200 service points, and which form the country’s largest independent advice network.
4. CAB advice services aim to be freely available and accessible to everyone in the community.
5. Consumer debt is now the single biggest issue that CABx deal with.  Last year, CABx in Scotland dealt with debt totalling over £211m.
6. Images and logos of the CAB service are available from the CAS press and communications officer (see contact above).
7. Practical and up-to-date information is available online from Adviceguide (www.adviceguide.org.uk), including factsheets you can print off.