The Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986

Pay, pensions, etc. of patients N.I.

128.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), where any payment falls to be made to any person by way of pay or pension or otherwise in connection with the service or employment of that or any other person, and the payment falls to be made—

(a) directly out of moneys appropriated by Measure or the Consolidated Fund;

(b) directly out of moneys provided by Parliament or the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom;

(c) direcly out of other moneys administered by or under the control or supervision of a Northern Ireland Department or a Department of the Government of the United Kingdom; or

(d) by a district council,

the authority by whom the sum in question is payable, if satisfied after considering medical evidence that the person to whom it is payable (in this Article referred to as “the patient”) is incapable by reason of mental disorder of managing and administering his property and affairs, may, instead of paying the sum to the patient apply it in accordance with paragraph (3).

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply where a controller has been appointed in Northern Ireland in relation to the property and affairs of the patient.

(3) The authority may pay the sum or such part thereof as it thinks fit to the institution or person having the care of the patient, to be applied for his benefit and may pay the remainder, if any, or such part of the remainder as it thinks fit—

(a) to or for the benefit of persons who appear to the authority to be members of the patient's family or other persons for whom the patient might be expected to provide if he were not mentally disordered; or

(b) in reimbursement, with interest, of money applied by any person either in payment of the patient's debts (whether legally enforceable or not) or for the maintenance or other benefit of the patient or such persons as are mentioned in sub-paragraph (a).