The Child Support (Management of Payments and Arrears) Regulations 2009

[F1 PART 4B E+W+S Write Off of Arrears

Textual Amendments

F1 Part 4A - 4B inserted (8.10.2012 for specified purposes by virtue of 2008 c. 6, ss. 32, 33 being brought into force for specified purposes on that date by S.I. 2012/2523, art. 2(2)(d)) by The Child Support Management of Payments and Arrears (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/3002), regs. 1, 2(3)

Amounts owed to different persons to be treated separately E+W+S

13F.   Where the arrears of child support maintenance for which a person is liable comprise amounts that have accrued in respect of—

(a) separate applications for a maintenance calculation; or

(b) one application, but would, if recovered, be payable to different persons,

those amounts are to be treated as separate amounts of arrears for the purpose of exercising the power under section 41E(1) of the 1991 Act.

Circumstances in which the Secretary of State may exercise the power in section 41E of the 1991 Act E+W+S

13G.   The circumstances of the case specified for the purposes of section 41E(1)(a) of the 1991 Act are that—

(a) the person with care has requested under section 4(5) of that Act that the Secretary of State ceases to act in respect of the arrears;

(b) a child in Scotland has requested under section 7(6) of that Act that the Secretary of State ceases to act in respect of the arrears;

(c) the person with care, or (in Scotland) the child, has died;

(d) the non-resident parent died before 25 January 2010 or there is no further action that can be taken with regard to recovery of the arrears from the non-resident parent’s estate under Part 4;

(e) the arrears relate to liability for child support maintenance for any period in respect of which an interim maintenance assessment was in force between 5 April 1993 and 18 April 1995; or

(f) the non-resident parent has been informed by the Secretary of State that no further action would ever be taken to recover those arrears.

Secretary of State required to give notice E+W+S

13H.— (1) Where the Secretary of State is considering exercising the powers under section 41E(1) of the 1991 Act, the Secretary of State must send written notice to the person with care or, where relevant, a child in Scotland and the non-resident parent.

(2) The requirement in paragraph (1) does not apply where the person in question cannot be traced or has died.

(3) The notice must—

(a) specify the person with care or, where relevant, a child in Scotland, in respect of whom liability in respect of arrears of child support maintenance has accrued;

(b) specify the amount of the arrears and the period of liability to which the arrears relate;

(c) state why it appears to the Secretary of State that it would be unfair or inappropriate to enforce liability in respect of the arrears;

(d) advise the person that they may make representations, within 30 days of receiving the notice, to the Secretary of State as to whether the liability in respect of the arrears should be extinguished; and

(e) explain the effect of any decision to extinguish liability in respect of any arrears of child support maintenance under section 41E(1) of the 1991 Act.

(4) If no representations are received by the Secretary of State within 30 days of the notice being received by the person with care or, where relevant, a child in Scotland and the non-resident parent, the Secretary of State may make the decision to extinguish the arrears.

(5) For the purposes of this regulation, where the Secretary of State sends any written notice by post to a person’s last known or notified address that document is treated as having been received by that person on the second day following the day on which it is posted.

Secretary of State to take account of the parties’ views E+W+S

13I.   Where the Secretary of State receives representations within the 30 day period referred to in regulation 13H(3)(d), the Secretary of State must take account of those representations in making a decision under section 41E(1) of the 1991 Act.

Notification of decision to write off E+W+S

13J.— (1) On making a decision under section 41E(1) of the 1991 Act, the Secretary of State must send written notification to the non-resident parent and the person with care or, where relevant, a child in Scotland, of that decision.

(2) The requirement in paragraph (1) does not apply where the person in question cannot be traced or has died.]