Long title
A Bill to establish the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission; to amend the law relating to child support; to make provision about lump sum payments to or in respect of persons with diffuse mesothelioma; and for connected purposes.
Summary
The Bill proposes to replace the Child Support Agency with a new body, the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
Parts 1-3 and Part 5 of the Bill aim to reform the child support maintenance system. Part 4 contains provisions to extend compensation to all people suffering from diffuse mesothelioma.
The Child Support Agency was set up in 1993 following the Child Support Act 1991, which was subsequently amended in 1995 and 2000.
Key areas
- Changes the present system of maintenance collection
- Changes the way maintenance payments are calculated
- Strengthens the collection and enforcement methods available to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
- Introduces new powers to manage debt
- Fast tracks up-front lump sum payments for people diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma and their dependants
- Amends the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997 in order to fund payments through a compensation recovery mechanism.
Sponsoring departments
Mr Peter Hain
Labour, Neath
Lord McKenzie of Luton
Labour, Life peer
Current version of the Bill
Bill passage
Key