Rising Complaints Underline Need for Child Support Overhaul- Bruce

12.01.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 27th Jun 2006

Gordon MP Malcolm Bruce, today called on the Government to axe the failing Child Support Agency (CSA) after a new report showed that complaint levels are still rising.

Commenting on the Independent Case Examiner annual report released today, which shows a 7% increase in CSA complaints cases outstanding at the end of the year from 2004-05, Mr Bruce said:

"Today's ICE report is yet another reminder that the CSA is a mess which has never worked and still hasn't been fixed. The same old problems are occurring year after year, with no sign of significant improvement. The CSA has still not transferred all cases from the old assessment system to the new one. This means that there remains an unfair imbalance in the treatment of cases by the CSA.

"The CSA is unable to enforce payments, has no solution to its IT problems and does not put the best interests of the child first. It remains a system which is failing the people it was set up to help. I have heard from constituents numerous cases where the CSA has made a difficult situation even worse for too many people in Gordon.  

"The Government must urgently publish the results of Sir David Henshaw's review if we are to make any progress towards ending this bureaucratic nightmare. It is now clear that the CSA should be scrapped with its functions transferred to the Inland Revenue."

ENDS