CAFCASS figures reveal continuing high levels of cases

Overall summary

• In May 2021 Cafcass received 4,912 new cases (3.0% or 142 more cases than in May 2020). This is 0.9% or 43 fewer cases than in April 2021. The average daily demand levels in May 2021 was 259 cases per day compared to 251 cases received per day during May 2020. The significant increase in new demand compared to the same period in 2020 is due to record low levels of demand experienced in the period following the first Covid-19 restrictions which were introduced in March 2020.
• The number of open outstanding children’s cases at the end of May remains at high levels
  (43,371 cases) an increase of 25.3% (8,749 cases) when compared to May 2020.
• For the financial year to date (April 2021 to May 2021), the main changes are an increase in total case demand (13.6% / 1,179 cases compared to the same period last year), a reduction in public law cases (3.6% / 100 cases) but an increase in private law cases (21.7% / 1,279 cases).

Monthly headlines (May 2021)

Cafcass received 4,912 new cases in May 2021, which is 142 (3.0%) more cases than May 2020 and 43 (0.9%) fewer cases than in April 2021. These cases involved 7,379 children, 142 (1.9%) fewer than in May 2020.

Public law cases (May 2021)

Cafcass received 1,373 new public law cases in May 2021 featuring 2,168 children; this represents a decrease of 4.3% (61) cases and a decrease of 9.3% (222) children on the 1,434 public law cases received and on the 2,390 children in those cases in May 2020. The number of new public law cases in May 2021 was 49 cases (3.7%) more than the previous month.

Of the 1,373 new public law cases received:

• 932 (67.9%) were cases where section 31 (care) was the lead application, which is a decrease
  of 105 cases (10.1%) compared to May 2020. These cases involved 1,526 children, which is
  248 children (14%) fewer than in May 2020.
• 441 (32.1%) were public law cases where section 31 (care) was not the lead application,
  which is 44 more cases (11.1%) than the same month in 2020. These cases involved 642
  children, which is 26 children (4.2%) more than in May 2020.

955 section 31 care applications were received in May 2021, 114 fewer applications (10.7%) than in May 2020 (a case can have multiple applications so therefore this figure is higher than the new section 31 case figure).

Private law cases (May 2021)

Cafcass received 3,539 new private law cases in May 2021 featuring 5,211 children; this represents an increase of 203 cases (6.1%) and an increase of 80 children (1.6%) compared with May 2020. The number of new private law cases was 92 fewer (a reduction of 2.5%) than in April 2021.

Financial year to date (April 2021 to May 2021)

Cafcass received 9,867 new cases in the first two months of 2021/22, an increase of 13.6% (1,179) compared to the first two months of the previous financial year. The increase is largely explained by the record levels of low demand seen in the first two months of 2020/21, following the first lockdown that began in March 2020.

Open children’s cases

The number of open outstanding children’s cases at the end of May 2021 was 43,371, a significant increase of 25.3% (8,749 cases) when compared to May 2020, and a decrease of 3.1% (1,382 cases) when compared to the previous month (April 2021).

The number of open cases has remained exceptionally high, alongside continued high new case demand. Overall caseloads have continued to increase, impacted by the slower family justice system case completion rate due to the Covid-19 pandemic.