Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the waiting time for the Independent Case Examiner to commence an investigation of a complaint relating to the Child Maintenance Service was as of 22 May 2023; and if he will make a statement.

The ICE process has several stages. Once a case has been accepted, ICE will attempt to resolve it without a full evidence gather. If a resolution cannot be brokered, the case awaits allocation to an investigator who will judge, once the evidence is available, whether an attempt to settle without a full investigation is appropriate. If this is not appropriate, or if settlement action cannot be agreed with the complainant, a full investigation is conducted.

The rate at which complaints can be allocated to an investigator depends on a number of factors, including the volume and complexity of complaints received, as well as available investigative resource.

Post-Covid, ICE has seen an increased number of referrals accompanied by an increase in the number of cases it has accepted. In the year April 2021 to March 2022, there was a 17% increase in the number of complaints being referred to ICE and a 68% increase in the number of complaints being accepted for examination, compared to the previous reporting year. In 2022-23 ICE received and accepted broadly similar volumes of cases referred and accepted.

The average time taken, as of 23 May 2023, from complaint receipt to allocation to an investigator (based on all current live cases being investigated) is 71 weeks for CMS cases.

The ICE office is continuously reviewing its processes and operating model to improve productivity and reduce the length of time investigations take to be concluded, without compromising quality. Since 1 April 2022, the ICE office has recruited an additional 18 investigators who will become increasingly productive as they consolidate initial training. A further 5 staff are due to join the team from July. Additional resource will be focused on CMS work.