Changes for clients with Child Support Agency cases

Changes affecting Child Support Agency (CSA) In 2012 the DWP launched a new child maintenance scheme - the 2012 scheme. This scheme is run by the Child Maintenance Service and it will eventually replace the Child Support Agency (CSA) schemes. In 2014, the CSA will began the process of ending all CSA child maintenance arrangements. At some time before 2017, clients will be contacted and given 6 months’ notice to put a new child maintenance arrangement in place. Clients will be offered information and support about their options from Child Maintenance Options, a free information and guidance service. Clients will be strongly encouraged to put a new child maintenance arrangement in place. Once their arrangement ends the CSA will no longer collect and pay out child maintenance for them. When clients are selected to go into the case closure journey they will receive a series of letters over a 6 month period. Letters will make clear that clients must continue to pay until their arrangement has ended.

The client experience - awareness Clients may become aware that their CSA arrangements will end before they receive any letters about it from the CSA. They may become aware through: seeing awareness-raising adverts placed by DWP in the press or online hearing adverts placed by DWP on commercial radio seeing press coverage of the changes information provided by partner and stakeholder organisations word of mouth from other affected clients gov.uk or cmoptions.org websites. DWP communications aim to ensure that clients receive consistent and accurate information about how they will be affected by the changes.

The client experience - letters Clients will receive the first letter letting them know that their arrangement will end 180 days before the arrangement ends. This letter will be sent to both parents. The letter will explain to clients that: their current CSA arrangement will end and the date that this will happen their arrangement will continue to be managed as usual until then and non-resident parents must continue to pay any arrears will continue to be owed. Clients will be strongly encouraged to make a new child maintenance arrangement and directed to the Child Maintenance Options service for help and support in doing this. This letter is accompanied by a leaflet which explains in more detail the options for making a new arrangement.

The client experience - letters Both parents will receive a second letter and a second copy of the leaflet sent with the first letter 30 days before their CSA arrangement ends. This letter will: confirm the date on which their arrangement will end remind non-resident parents that they must continue to pay until this date encourage parents to contact Child Maintenance Options for help in putting a new arrangement in place. Parents will receive 2 further letters when their CSA arrangement ends. one will confirm that their arrangement has ended, meaning that the non-resident parent will no longer owe ongoing child maintenance on CSA schemes the other will confirm how much the non-resident parent will need to pay towards the arrears as these will remain payable to the CSA at this stage.

The client experience - letters After the CSA arrangement has ended the CSA will calculate the final arrears balance. Parents with care with arrears will be sent a letter confirming the final arrears balance and offering them the chance to write off these arrears if they no longer want them. Arrears will only be written off if parents with care actively request that they are. Any arrears remaining will be moved to be managed by the Child Maintenance Service.

The client experience – making a new arrangement After clients receive their first letter they may seek support from Child Maintenance Options for help putting a new arrangement in place. Child Maintenance Options will explain the types of arrangements that clients can make. Clients can: make an arrangement between each other – a family based arrangement make an application to the Child Maintenance Service. For most clients there will be a £20 fee to make an application. If clients apply to the Child Maintenance Service: they will not have to pay further fees if they can make payments between each other – this is known as Direct Pay if parents cannot make payments on their own the Child Maintenance Service can do this. The fee for this service is a 20% charge for paying parents (non-resident parents) and a 4% charge for receiving parents (parents with care). This is known as the Collect and Pay service. receiving parents using Collect and Pay will not receive their first payment straight away while any new Child Maintenance Service arrangement is set up.

How stakeholders can help Stakeholders can help separated parents through the changes by ensuring that separated parents have accurate and up to date information on changes to child maintenance and know how to access support. DWP are keen to work in partnership with stakeholders who support separating and separated parents as we go through the process of change.

Further information For more about the changes to child maintenance: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/supporting-separated- families-securing-children-s-futures Further information for clients and stakeholders will be available through: www.gov.uk www.childmaintenanceoptions.org