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The government is proposing to extend the Child Support Agency (CSA) case closure programme. The programme began in June 2014, following the introduction of a new statutory child maintenance scheme administered by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). The closure programme was due to end liabilities in existing CSA cases by 31 December 2017. However, the CMS is proposing to amend the current transition period end date to 31 December 2018. Consultation on the extension runs until 13 September 2017.
One of the objectives of the case closure programme is to end all existing liabilities on the two CSA legacy schemes, a process which is governed by regulations. The regulations specify that certain aspects of the case closure process be specified in a scheme.
The scheme specifies that the Secretary of State must end the liabilities in existing CSA cases within a specified ‘transition period’. The current version specifies that the date on which the transition period will end is 31 December 2017.
However, CMS said the re-deployment of staff to support other departmental priorities, such as the roll out of universal credit, has led to an unavoidable delay in operational delivery of the case closure programme.
This has led it to propose amending the current transition period end date to 31 December 2018.
Responses can be sent by email to childmaintenance.policy@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
