Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will increase resources for the Independent Care Examiner to enable it to deal with Child Support Agency appeal cases in a timely manner.

Once a complaint has been accepted for investigation, the ICE Office will consider whether a solution to the complaint can be brokered with the relevant department or its supplier and the complainant – known as “resolution”. If it is not possible to resolve the complaint, the case papers will be requested and the case will be allocated to an Investigation Case Manager.

Following a review of the evidence, it may be possible for the Investigation Case Manager to “settle” the complaint if the relevant department or its supplier agrees to action that satisfies the complainant. If the complaint cannot be settled, the ICE will issue a report detailing findings and any recommendations for redress.

In the 2016 calendar year the average time taken to process complaints relating to the Child Support Agency, from the point the complaint was accepted for investigation to case closure, was 53 weeks.

Resources for the Independent Case Examiner’s Office are reviewed annually.