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Child Support Agency is failing, MPs warn

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26th Jan 2005
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The Child Support Agency is a "failing organisation" which is currently in crisis, according to the Commons select committee on work and pensions.

The committee's report on the performance of the CSA, published today, says rapid and radical action must be taken "to provide an acceptable service for the children who are its beneficiaries".

It recommends that proposed reductions in CSA staff levels be suspended until the agency's business transformation programme, including the IT system, is proved to be fully functioning.

The committee said: "The senior management team has failed to lead the Agency through significant cultural shift. There is an apparent lack of adequate training for frontline staff; guidance and procedures appear to be lacking; and there is little evidence of adequate monitoring to ensure that frontline staff follow procedures."

It called for "much greater focus" on compliance and enforcement, including more frequent use of deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences and consideration of travel bans or removal of passports.

"Tracing non-resident parents would be assisted by requiring them to inform the CSA of any change of address and having P45 tax forms marked to indicate that maintenance was being deducted from earnings," it said.

The committee warned that the CSA may have to be wound up if the responses to its report do not provide "the information necessary to make a judgement as to whether the CSA as currently constituted can be rescued".

Andrew Goodall
[email protected]

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