Massive backlog of cases dogs Child Support Agency
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Massive backlog of cases
dogs Child Support Agency
The controversial Child Support Agency has substantially improved its performance since its "difficult and unhappy birth", but still has a big backlog of cases to deal with, MPs said yesterday.
The role of the CSA is to take lone parents, predominantly mothers, off benefit by making absent parents pay maintenance for their offspring. But a report by the Social Security Select Committee showed that only about one-third of lone parents on Income Support and Family Credit had received a CSA assessment. Even this somewhat "flattered" the agency.
The total of lone parents on benefit - over 1.46 million in May 1996 - was a "snapshot" total, whereas the figure for the CSA caseload at the same point - 485,000 - was a "cumulative" total, including cases where absent parents were themselves getting benefit and were therefore readily accessible to the CSA.
But by the end of December last year, said the MPs, the number of maintenance applications on hand was 441,784, "which includes a considerable backlog compared to an estimated 200,000-250,000 applications on hand that the Agency would expect to have when at steady state".
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments