Legislation – Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008

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Introduction

Part 1
The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

1 The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

2 Objectives of the Commission

3 Functions of the Commission: general

4 Promotion of child maintenance

5 Provision of information and guidance

6 Fees

7 Agency arrangements and provision of services

8 Contracting out

9 Annual report to Secretary of State

10 Directions and guidance

11 Review of the status of the Commission

12 Supplementary provisions

Part 2
Transfer of child support functions etc. to the Commission

13 Transfer of child support functions

14 Transfer of property, rights and liabilities

Part 3
Child support etc.

15 Repeal of sections 6 and 46

16 Changes to the calculation of maintenance

17 Power to regulate supersession

18 Determination of applications for a variation

19 Transfer of cases to new rules

20 Use of deduction from earnings orders as basic method of payment

21 Deduction from earnings orders: the liable person’s earnings

22 Orders for regular deductions from accounts

23 Lump sum deduction orders

24 Orders preventing avoidance

25 Administrative liability orders

26 Enforcement in county courts

27 Disqualification for holding or obtaining travel authorisation

28 Curfew orders

29 Commitment to prison

30 Disqualification for driving

31 Power to treat liability as satisfied

32 Power to accept part payment of arrears in full and final satisfaction

33 Power to write off arrears

34 Transfer of arrears

35 Registered maintenance agreements: Scotland

36 Offence of failing to notify change of address

37 Additional special case

38 Recovery of arrears from deceased’s estate

39 Disclosure of information relating to family proceedings

40 Disclosure of information to credit reference agencies

41 Pilot schemes

42 Meaning of “child”

43 Extinction of liability in respect of interest and fees

44 Use of information

45 Liable relative provisions: exclusion of parental duty to maintain

Part 4
Lump sum payments: mesothelioma etc.

46 Lump sum payments

47 Conditions of entitlement

48 Determination of claims

49 Reconsideration

50 Appeal to appeal tribunal

51 Appeal to Social Security Commissioner

52 Minors and people who lack capacity

53 Regulations: Part 4

54 Amendment of Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997

Part 5
General

55 Regulations and orders: general

56 General interpretation

57 Minor and consequential amendments

58 Repeals

59 Transition

60 Financial provisions

61 Extent

62 Commencement

63 Citation

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1 The Commission

SCHEDULE 2 Transfer of functions under subordinate legislation

SCHEDULE 3 Transfer of child support functions

SCHEDULE 4 Changes to the calculation of maintenance

SCHEDULE 5 Maintenance calculations: transfer of cases to new rules

SCHEDULE 6 Use of information

SCHEDULE 7 Minor and consequential amendments

SCHEDULE 8 Repeals

Part 3Child support etc.

Collection and enforcement

25Administrative liability orders

After section 32L of the Child Support Act 1991 (c. 48) (inserted by section 24 of this Act) insert—

“32MLiability orders

(1)

If it appears to the Commission that a person has failed to pay an amount of child support maintenance, it may make an order against the person in respect of that amount.

(2)

An order under subsection (1) (a “liability order”) may be made in respect of an amount due under a maintenance calculation which is the subject of an appeal only if it appears to the Commission—

(a)

that liability for the amount would not be affected were the appeal to succeed, or

(b)

where paragraph (a) does not apply, that the making of a liability order in respect of the amount would nonetheless be fair in all the circumstances.

(3)

A liability order shall not come into force before—

(a)

the end of the period during which an appeal can be brought under section 20 against the making of the order, and

(b)

if an appeal is brought under section 20, the time at which proceedings on the appeal (including any proceedings on a further appeal) have been concluded and any period during which a further appeal may ordinarily be brought has ended.

(4)

Where regulations have been made under section 29(3)(a), a person liable to pay an amount of child support maintenance is to be taken for the purposes of this section to have failed to pay the amount, unless it is paid to or through the person specified in, or by virtue of, the regulations for the case in question.

32NRegulations about liability orders

(1)

The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision with respect to liability orders.

(2)

Regulations under subsection (1) may, in particular—

(a)

make provision about the form and content of a liability order;

(b)

make provision for a liability order not to come into force if, before it does so, the whole of the amount in respect of which it is made is paid;

(c)

make provision for the discharge of a liability order;

(d)

make provision for the revival of a liability order in prescribed circumstances.”