Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many cases the Child Maintenance Service opened a new case in error before a case subject to the Child Support Agency case closure process was closed in the last 12 months.

The Child Maintenance Service computer systems automatically check whether clients making applications to the 2012 Scheme also have a case with Child Support Agency (CSA).

At February 2015, the Child Maintenance Service had received around 7,900 new applications from clients with CSA cases which are closing. Of these, 52 (around 0.6%) have had liability set up on the 2012 scheme before their CSA liability ended.

Processes are in place to correct these cases through specialist teams who provide individual advice on a case by case basis. Additionally, to minimise occurrences, the automated lookups to the CSA systems are refreshed regularly and upgrades to the computer software have been made.