Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 5:45 pm on 22 June 2000.

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Photo of Baroness Hollis of Heigham Baroness Hollis of Heigham Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Social Security 5:45, 22 June 2000

My Lords, I shall not spend a great deal of time on this matter. What the amendment would do is require all applications to be made in writing rather than allowing straightforward applications to be taken over the telephone. Additionally, applicants would not have to specify the ground on which they are applying.

Two recurring complaints made about the existing scheme surround its complexity and the fact that it takes the agency so long to notify non-resident parents of their liability. A recent survey undertaken by the CSA indicated that use of the telephone is considerably faster: 79 per cent of the CSA's clients positively preferred it; and approximately only 2 per cent of them were hostile to it, and that may have been because we telephoned them at work, or for a similar reason. They liked the use of the telephone because it allows discussion and a better understanding of what is going on. Certainly, when I listened in on client helplines, I realised that both parents with care and non-resident parents found the personal contact over the telephone to be valuable. By virtue of use of the telephone, maintenance becomes more reliable.

Under the current departure scheme that we are proposing, it is clear that most of the applications can be dealt with satisfactorily over the telephone because the information is simple and straightforward. We do not believe that in the reformed scheme the information should be put in writing. Use of the telephone avoids unnecessary delay and use of paper, and possibly also allows us to ensure that maintenance flows more quickly.

However, an exception would be made--I believe that this point is important and may reassure the noble Baroness--where, for example, the application raised particularly difficult or complex issues. Such applications would not be dealt with by staff on a straightforward administrative basis. However, when a simple piece of information is placed on the record--for example, where the flow of earnings is different just before Christmas--the form can be adjusted and that is that.

However, a typically difficult application would be one where the parent with care alleges that the income that he has declared is inaccurate because he is living a different lifestyle and there is a considerable variance. Where there is such a dispute, if I may express it that way, the case is likely to go to a tribunal. In difficult and complex situations, we would require all applications to be made in writing in order to furnish the basis of an appeal to go to the tribunal. In such a case, we would also require the applicants to specify the grounds upon which they were applying. The system would not be effective if we ended up with a mountain of correspondence saying, "I want a variation because my liability is too high"--or too low.

In complex situations, our view is that it is only sensible to require applicants to state the grounds upon which they are applying for a variation. That will allow the CSA to distinguish applications which have been made on recognised grounds from those which, for example, are spurious in the sense that they cannot be met within the formula. That would avoid delays.

I hope that I have assured noble Lords that most cases can be dealt with by telephone but that in exceptional cases involving dispute, which are likely to go forward to a tribunal, we would want to ensure that there was a paper base. I hope that with that assurance the noble Baroness will feel able to withdraw her amendment.