To ask the Minister for Social Development to detail the processes for (i) lodging an appeal with the Child Support Agency through to receiving an outcome; and (ii) the reward of money to a claimant following a successful appeal.

All decision notices issued by the Child Maintenance Service that carry a right of appeal, clearly set out what clients must do and when if they wish to appeal a decision.

Once lodged, the Child Maintenance Service will consider the application and can review the original decision if new information is provided. In such cases the appeal can end at this stage. Should that not be the case, an Appeal Submission will be forwarded to the Appeals Service who have responsibility at that stage for arranging an Independent Tribunal to consider the case.

(II) If a Tribunal makes a new decision, it can either increase or reduce the amount of child maintenance due. Where it increases the maintenance payable, the

Child Maintenance Service will put a new payment schedule in place to start collecting the new liability and any arrears that may be due.