PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
CHILD SUPPORT ACT 1991 (3 February 1993)

That this House deplores the fact that there is already evidence of DSS intimidation of single mothers on income support to pressurise them to give the name, whereabouts and sometimes photographs, of the father of their child and that this becomes legal on 5th April via the Child Support Act 1991; considers this Act is the most draconian and Dickensian piece of social legislation for decades; notes that the recently issued Policy Guidelines on the Requirement to Co-operate will discourage many women from claiming their rightful benefit; notes that these guidelines, which require the revelation of the most intimate personal details, are likely in many cases to place women and children at considerable personal risk, but that the Department of Social Security takes no responsibility for any resulting injury or distress; notes that the guidelines repeatedly invalidate fearful situations as not normally cause for waiving the requirement to co-operate on grounds of harm and undue distress and that refusal to co-operate will incur a fine of ú8. 80 per week; and considers the main purpose of this malevolent Act is to reduce the number of families entitled to claim income support and consequent passported benefits.

Sponsored by:
Mildred Gordon (Labour)