Crisis At The Child Support Agency

What’s Going On At The Child Support Agency?

A crisis is pending at the Child Support Agency, resulting from:-

• low staff morale
• poor training
• computer failures
• delays to payments from the Child Support Agency

Government research has revealed cases of staff putting false information into its computer system to speed up claims. Some payments have not been made as cases have not been moved from the old computer system to the new one.

What Does The Research Suggest?

The research was carried out for the Department of Work and Pensions. It suggested:-

• Child Support Agency staff were "overwhelmingly negative" about the new computer system
• Child Support Agency Staff were “unhappy with the level of training” they had received.
• staff told researchers that difficult cases were sometimes deleted and others stockpiled and never dealt with.
• some staff knowingly admitted entering incorrect details into the system to get it to move cases on, while others devised ways of avoiding talking to clients over the phone.
• low morale meant the  "vast majority" of administrative staff wanted to leave.
• seventy six thousand case are still waiting to be moved on to the new computer system
• some benefits, such as the £10 per week child payment premium, were not going to hundreds of thousands of its clients.

What Comments have the Department Of Work & Pensions And The Child Support Agency Made?

A DWP spokeswoman said: "We are not disputing comments made by staff in this survey, but it was carried out last year and things have progressively improved since then."

The CSA said it had taken steps to improve staff morale and to improve the computer system.

But a spokesman added: "We will not jeopardise cases where money is already flowing to children by moving them on to the new system until we are sure it is working properly."  The CSA claim that their service has "progressively improved" since the report, but accepted problems remained.

In November the agency's chief executive, Doug Smith resigned. He will leave the agency at the end of May 2005.

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