Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason kinship carers can only claim the lower rate of Child Benefit if they already have children for whom they claim Child Benefit; and if he will take steps to review this policy.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The higher rate of Child Benefit can only be paid for the eldest child. It is intended to help all families with children, acknowledging the impact on a family’s finances of the arrival of a child/children in the family. The arrival of a child for the first time may mean for instance that many parents have to give up work altogether or work reduced hours. When Child Benefit ends for the eldest child, the higher rate becomes payable for the next eldest child. The government keeps all policies under review in the usual way.

Financial support for kinship carers is paid at the discretion of the local authority and in accordance with their model for assessing support needs. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. The local authority should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average holding time was for phone calls to the probate office contact line in each year since 2019.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The average holding time (Average Speed of Answer (ASA)) for phone calls to the Probate office contact line in each year since 2019 is as follows:

2021 = 17 minutes 28 seconds

2022 = 33 minutes 23 seconds

2023 = 12 minutes 17 seconds

HMCTS does not hold ASA data prior to 2021 due to a change in system in Spring 2021.

HMCTS has recruited over 100 additional staff, between June 2022 and June 2023, to improve both telephone response times and increase the overall volume and speed of grants being issued.

In addition, HMCTS have undertaken additional staff training to ensure probate call agents can resolve more queries at the first time of contact and issue the grant wherever possible.