Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is considering writing off arrears and debts to the claimant and to the public purse when transferring cases from the Child Support Agency to the Child Maintenance Service; and if she will make a statement.

The Department recently consulted on a new Compliance and Arrears Strategy for the Child Maintenance Service. This contained proposals for new enforcement powers, alongside proposals for addressing the historic arrears that built up under the Child Support Agency. The consultation document can be found here. Our response to this consultation will be published in the near future.