This bulletin advises you about:
Please ensure the appropriate people in your local authority/health trust read this bulletin. The deadline for responses to this bulletin is Friday 1 May 2009.
Enquires about and responses to this bulletin should be sent via email to Dave Ensor
The Official Solicitor or Accountant of Court, on receipt of the annual statement from the CTF provider, forwards the statement to the child via the local authority/health trust or carer with a letter explaining any payments made during the statement year.
In most cases no feedback is received on the letter or annual statement. Contact is occasionally received to inform the Official Solicitor of amendments to the child’s name or date of birth.
The Official Solicitor/Accountant of Court have proposed a change to the current procedure.
The Official Solicitor/Accountant of Court wish to stop the routine forwarding of annual statements and instead, only forward statements - with a letter of explanation - where there has been a payment(s) to the account during the year. These could be government payments, age 7 payments starting from 1 September 2009 or, payments made by the child’s family, or you if the child has spent a continuous year in care.
In cases where no activity has taken place the annual statement will be retained by the Official Solicitor/Accountant of Court but can be requested by the local authority/health trust at any time.
HM Revenue & Customs are content with this proposal but want to seek the views of local authorities/health trusts before implementation.
Are you aware of any issue(s) raised by this proposal that you would like us to be aware of?
The deadline for responses to this bulletin is 1 May 2009.
