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Minister apologises over child support bungle
BUNGLING officials at the Child Support Agency spent almost a year hounding the wrong man in Sheffield, a government minister has admitted.
Work and pensions minister James Plaskitt apologised for the "distress and frustration" caused to Ryan Kennedy and lambasted the "inexcusable" way he was treated by the CSA.
In a remarkable statement to MPs, Mr Plaskitt revealed that Mr Kennedy is in line to receive "significant" compensation following his "appalling" case.
He revealed a catalogue of errors by CSA staff which meant they contacted the wrong Ryan Kennedy - and said they should never have made contact with the 28-year-old.
The Star revealed yesterday how Mr Kennedy, from Parson Cross, was contacted in February last year by the CSA who informed him he had been named as the father of a six-year-old son.
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The admin worker denied the claim but was forced to borrow 200 to pay for a DNA test - only to discover that the woman who made the claim had refused to have a DNA test herself or allow the child to be tested.
Yet the CSA refused to close the case and made it clear to Ryan, formerly of Walkley, that he could be forced to stump up back-dated maintenance payments if the woman decided to cooperate in the future.
Mr Plaskitt has now revealed that the woman gave the CSA Mr Kennedy's name - but no specific address.
To ensure they had the right person, they should have requested a full name, date of birth, address and place of employment.
Their failure to do so meant they pursued the wrong Ryan Kennedy, he said.
The minister explained: "Instead of returning to the child's mother for any further information that she might have had, it made the incorrect assumption that he was the same Mr Kennedy.
"Of course, he was not - as the agency would have realised if it had followed procedure."
He said CSA bosses will now write to every member of staff reminding them of the need to gather sufficient information "to make a positive match".
Mr Plaskitt was forced to make a statement after the issue was raised in a debate by Sheffield Hillsborough Labour MP Angela Smith.
Ms Smith said it was "discriminatory and unsatisfactory" that the case against Mr Kennedy had been kept open by the CSA because the woman was on benefits.
Mr Kennedy yesterday told The Star: "I am extremely happy but also still annoyed that I had to go through this to start with.
"I am so grateful to Angela for everything she has done to help me. I can't thank her enough."
Ms Smith said: "I am delighted with the outcome, as far as Ryan is concerned.
"He deserves the compensation but, more than anything, he deserves credit for being brave enough to go public.
"If he hadn't gone public, I wouldn't have been able to raise it in the House and this mismanagement would not have come to light."
READ MORE
Ryan's year of hell
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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