Section 136 — Welfare Reform Act 2012: Supporting maintenance agreements

Supporting maintenance agreements 136 1 In section 9 of the Child Support Act 1991 (maintenance agreements), after subsection (2) there is inserted— 2A The Secretary of State may, with a view to reducing the need for applications under sections 4 and 7—

a take such steps as the Secretary of State considers appropriate to encourage the making and keeping of maintenance agreements, and b in particular, before accepting an application under those sections, invite the applicant to consider with the Secretary of State whether it is possible to make such an agreement.

2 In Schedule 5 to the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (maintenance calculations: transfer of cases to new rules), in paragraph 3, after sub-paragraph (2) there is inserted— 3 The Secretary of State may before accepting an application required by provision under sub-paragraph (2)(b) invite the applicant to consider with the Secretary of State whether it is possible to make a maintenance agreement (within the meaning of section 9 of the Child Support Act 1991).