---

Children: Maintenance

Answer

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.Letter from Stephen Geraghty:"In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.""You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of a repayment schedule agreed with the Child Support Agency is. [226162]""Robust information on the length of arrears repayment schedules is not held centrally and to obtain it would involve additional examination of all relevant cases. The information required to answer this question cannot therefore be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.""Child maintenance arrears should be paid immediately. Where this is not possible the Agency may enter an arrears agreement with the non-resident parent. The Agency aims to clear any child maintenance debt within two years and will therefore seek to negotiate the collection of arrears with this goal in mind.""No arrears agreement with the Agency should be regarded as settled unless it continues to ensure that child maintenance arrears are paid as quickly as possible having considered all the circumstances of the case. The Agency is therefore currently reviewing all of its cases, including those which may have an agreement in place to repay child maintenance debt over a longer period. This is to ensure that all agreements continue to be appropriate and that the interests of the child in respect of whom the arrears are due are fully taken into account.""I hope you find this answer helpful."

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

482 c699-700W; 226162

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Children Maintenance

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk