Improvements to our collection procedures
We're starting to take quicker and firmer action to make more difference to more children.
Supported by new legislation which came into effect from 12 July 2006, we're making improvements to the way we collect child maintenance.
What it means for employers
To reduce the burden on employers and to make collections and payments of maintenance for children more effective we are:
streamlining our deduction from earnings order process. They will now receive only one deduction from earnings order even when their employee owes money under the old and new child support rules;
where a non-resident parent fails to co-operate in nominating a method of payment, we'll issue a deduction from earnings order at the first available opportunity;
we can now implement a deduction from earnings order where a non-resident parent has arrears but no ongoing maintenance liability. This means that we can approach non-resident parents and their employer in these cases. Using this information we can assess the amount of child maintenance due;
non-resident parents can now voluntarily request to pay child maintenance by a deduction from their earnings. They need to agree this with their employer first so no employer will be forced into such an arrangement.
Debt Collection Agencies
We're now using debt collection agencies to locate non-resident parents and to collect arrears of child support maintenance.
Initially, two companies are being used and their representatives may contact the non-resident parent or their employer.
They're acting on behalf of the Agency and, where appropriate, they can use deduction from earnings orders and take debtors to court on our behalf to obtain, for example;
- Liability Orders
- County Court Judgments
- Charging Orders
They will operate under a formal contract that will define the required standards of service and behaviour. They are bound by the same legal and policy constraints as the Child Support Agency including adherence to Data Protection and the consideration of child welfare.
An employer may be asked to provide:
- employee pay dates and payroll cut off dates;
- employee payment frequency;
- employee payroll number/job title or position;
- company personnel/payroll address
