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General Questions
Q1. Will the Child Support Agency be closed?
Yes.
The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division is responsible for all aspects of the Northern Ireland child maintenance system including the implementation of the redesign of child support. During the transitional period you will continue to see the Northern Ireland Child Support Agency branding and logo in our communications.
We will inform you as changes are made to our communications to reflect the transfer to the new Division.
Q2. Why is this change happening?
The problems associated with delivering child maintenance are widely known and it is recognised that the way child maintenance is managed needs to change. Transferring service delivery to the Department will be the start of the change.
In addition to bringing the delivery of child support under the direct control of the Department for Social Development, the Minister will also be bringing forward similar policy changes to those currently before Westminster to the Northern Ireland Executive and the Assembly in the near future.
Q3. What are the proposed policy changes?
These proposed changes include:
- enabling parents to make an active choice about their child maintenance by removing the requirement for parents with care who claim benefits to be treated as applying for child maintenance;
- providing parents with quality information and guidance to help them make informed decisions about how to make their own child maintenance arrangements or move to the new system;
- significantly increasing the amount of maintenance that parents with care on benefit can keep before it affects the level of benefits they receive;
- simplifying and streamlining the child maintenance assessment process: for example, using latest available tax year information as a basis for calculating child maintenance;
- improving the collection and enforcement processes sending out a clear signal that non-payment of maintenance will not be tolerated ;
- increasing efforts to collect and manage debt.
Q4. When will these changes happen?
The changes will be introduced in stages over the next few years.
At this stage it is planned that a Northern Ireland Child Maintenance Bill will be introduced in the Northern Ireland Assembly in late spring of this year.
Q5. Are the rules changing?
Not immediately. Clients will continue to be assessed under their current scheme until the new child maintenance scheme is introduced.
You will be kept fully informed as changes occur.
Parents with Care
Q1. What happens if my circumstances change?
You should let us know in the usual way if your circumstances change.
Q2. Can I still make a claim and how do I do this?
Yes, you can make a claim in the usual way.
Q3. Does my ex-partner still have to pay?
Yes – there is no change.
Non resident parents
Q1. Do I have to keep paying?
Yes, there is no change.
Q2. Do I still have to pay my arrears?
Yes, there is no change.
Q3. Do I have to do anything?
You don’t have to do anything different for now. We will let you know of any changes in future.
Q4. Will I have to keep paying?
Yes, in the usual way.
Q5. Will there be any changes to the way I pay?
Not in the immediate term. We will let you know of any changes in future.
Q6. What happens if my circumstances change?
You should let us know if your circumstances change in the normal way.
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