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08/09/2005
CSA in ‘meltdown’ warns former minister
The Child Support Agency is in ‘meltdown’, the former welfare minister has warned.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Frank Field said that the CSA was now performing worse than it did in 1998, a year after Labour first came to power.
Mr Field, Labour MP for Birkenhead, said that the agency had now written off £1 billion of uncollected maintenance, while the backlog of applicants waiting for an assessment had increased by a fifth in the last six months. The amount of maintenance being collected had also fallen by 2% in real terms, he claimed.
The former minister said that government reforms introduced two years ago, which included a new IT system costing £456 million, had not helped – instead, he said, it had made “an intolerably poor service even worse”.
The cost to the taxpayer of running the CSA was now 54p for every pound of maintenance collected, Mr Field claimed.
Work and Pensions Secretary David Blunkett said that there was nothing in Mr Field’s letter that that ministers were not “painfully aware” of. He said that a government review, implemented after the general election, would be “root and branch” and welcomed “positive ideas”, which could be incorporated into the review, due to be published before the end of the year.
Lord Hunt, the minister responsible for the CSA, admitted that the agency had had a difficult time, but said it was now dealing with a million extra child support cases.
Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesperson David Laws called for the CSA to be scrapped and its responsibilities given to the Inland Revenue. He said: "It is clear that the CSA is in a state of chaos, and that it needs the most fundamental reform rather than tinkering. The chaotic status of the CSA is indicated by the fact that now people have almost given up making complaints because the CSA has been so incompetent for so long.”
(KMcA/SP)
In an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Frank Field said that the CSA was now performing worse than it did in 1998, a year after Labour first came to power.
Mr Field, Labour MP for Birkenhead, said that the agency had now written off £1 billion of uncollected maintenance, while the backlog of applicants waiting for an assessment had increased by a fifth in the last six months. The amount of maintenance being collected had also fallen by 2% in real terms, he claimed.
The former minister said that government reforms introduced two years ago, which included a new IT system costing £456 million, had not helped – instead, he said, it had made “an intolerably poor service even worse”.
The cost to the taxpayer of running the CSA was now 54p for every pound of maintenance collected, Mr Field claimed.
Work and Pensions Secretary David Blunkett said that there was nothing in Mr Field’s letter that that ministers were not “painfully aware” of. He said that a government review, implemented after the general election, would be “root and branch” and welcomed “positive ideas”, which could be incorporated into the review, due to be published before the end of the year.
Lord Hunt, the minister responsible for the CSA, admitted that the agency had had a difficult time, but said it was now dealing with a million extra child support cases.
Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesperson David Laws called for the CSA to be scrapped and its responsibilities given to the Inland Revenue. He said: "It is clear that the CSA is in a state of chaos, and that it needs the most fundamental reform rather than tinkering. The chaotic status of the CSA is indicated by the fact that now people have almost given up making complaints because the CSA has been so incompetent for so long.”
(KMcA/SP)
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18 January 2006
CSA reforms could see private firms chase absent parents
Private debt collectors could be set to take over the collection of money from parents who fail to pay child support. Plans have emerged regarding efforts to reform the Child Support Agency (CSA), which has been under sustained attack for failing to meet a wide range of criteria.
CSA reforms could see private firms chase absent parents
Private debt collectors could be set to take over the collection of money from parents who fail to pay child support. Plans have emerged regarding efforts to reform the Child Support Agency (CSA), which has been under sustained attack for failing to meet a wide range of criteria.
25 November 2003
£300m CSA system fails 'majority' of applicants
A £300 million computer system for the Child Support Agency (CSA), which was intended to speed up cash payments to thousands of single parents, has managed to get cash to less than 4% of applicants.
£300m CSA system fails 'majority' of applicants
A £300 million computer system for the Child Support Agency (CSA), which was intended to speed up cash payments to thousands of single parents, has managed to get cash to less than 4% of applicants.
09 February 2006
CSA faces radical makeover
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, John Hutton, has signalled a radical overhaul of child support services in the UK as well as a package of measures that will get tough on parents who shirk their responsibilities. Announcing the review measures to MPs Mr Hutton branded the Child Support Agency's performance as "unacceptable".
CSA faces radical makeover
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, John Hutton, has signalled a radical overhaul of child support services in the UK as well as a package of measures that will get tough on parents who shirk their responsibilities. Announcing the review measures to MPs Mr Hutton branded the Child Support Agency's performance as "unacceptable".
16 November 2005
CSA under fire for compensation payments
The beleaguered Child Support Agency was under more pressure today as it emerged that over 35,000 people have been paid compensation in the past four years.
CSA under fire for compensation payments
The beleaguered Child Support Agency was under more pressure today as it emerged that over 35,000 people have been paid compensation in the past four years.
30 July 2010
Funding Boost For Flood Risk Assessments
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