Part IIS Promotion of Social Welfare by Local Authorities

GeneralS

12 General social welfare services of local authorities.S

(1)It shall be the duty of every local authority to promote social welfare by making available advice, guidance and assistance on such a scale as may be appropriate for their area, and in that behalf to make arrangements and to provide or secure the provision of such facilities (including the provision or arranging for the provision of residential and other establishments) as they may consider suitable and adequate, and such assistance may [F1, subject to subsections (3) to (5) of this section, be given in kind or in cash to, or in respect of, any relevant person..

(2)A person is a relevant person for the purposes of this section if, not being less than eighteen years of age, he is] in need requiring assistance in kind or, in exceptional circumstances constituting an emergency, in cash, where the giving of assistance in either form would avoid the local authority being caused greater expense in the giving of assistance in another form, or where probable aggravation of the person’s need would cause greater expense to the local authority on a later occasion.

(3)Before giving assistance to, or in respect of, a person in cash under subsection (1) of this section a local authority shall have regard to his eligibility for receiving assistance from any other statutory body and, if he is so eligible, to the availability to him of that assistance in his time of need.

[F2(3A)In determining for the purposes of this section whether to provide assistance by way of residential accommodation to a person, a local authority shall disregard so much of the person’s capital as does not exceed the capital limit for the purposes of section 22 of the M1National Assistance Act 1948.

(3B)For the purposes of subsection (3A) of this section—

(a)a person’s capital shall be calculated in accordance with assessment regulations in the same way as if he were a person for whom accommodation is proposed to be provided under this Act and whose ability to pay falls to be assessed for the purposes of section 22(3) of the National Assistance Act 1948; and

(b)the capital limit for the purposes of section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948” means the amount for the time being prescribed in assessment regulations as the amount which a resident’s capital (calculated in accordance with such regulations) must not exceed if he is to be assessed as unable to pay for his accommodation at the standard rate;

and in this subsection “assessment regulations” means regulations made for the purposes of section 22(5) of the National Assistance Act 1948 or section 87(5) of this Act.]

(4)Assistance given in kind or in cash to, or in respect of, persons under this section may be given unconditionally or subject to such conditions as to the repayment of the assistance, or of its value, whether in whole or in part, as the local authority may consider reasonable having regard to the means of the person receiving the assistance and to the eligibility of the person for assistance from any other statutory body.

(5)Nothing in the provisions of this section shall affect the performance by a local authority of their functions under any other enactment.

[F3(6)For the purposes of subsection (2) of this section “person in need” includes a person who is in need of care and attention arising out of drug or alcohol dependency or release from prison or other form of detention.]

Textual Amendments

F1Words in s. 12(1)(2) substituted (12.12.1996 for certain purposes and otherwise 1.4.1997) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4), Sch. 4 para. 15(11) (with s. 103(1)); S.I. 1996/3201, art. 3(6)(7) (which said art. 3(7) was substituted (7.3.1997) by S.I. 1997/744, art. 2 (with transitional provisions inserted into S.I. 1996/3201 by art. 3))

F2S. 12(3A)(3B) inserted (11.8.1998) by 1998 c. 19, ss. 2, 3(2)

Marginal Citations

12 General social welfare services of local authorities.S

(1)It shall be the duty of every local authority to promote social welfare by making available advice, guidance and assistance on such a scale as may be appropriate for their area, and in that behalf to make arrangements and to provide or secure the provision of such facilities (including the provision or arranging for the provision of residential and other establishments) as they may consider suitable and adequate, and such assistance may [F4, subject to subsections (3) to (5) of this section, be given in kind or in cash to, or in respect of, any relevant person..

(2)A person is a relevant person for the purposes of this section if, not being less than eighteen years of age, he is] in need requiring assistance in kind or, in exceptional circumstances constituting an emergency, in cash, where the giving of assistance in either form would avoid the local authority being caused greater expense in the giving of assistance in another form, or where probable aggravation of the person’s need would cause greater expense to the local authority on a later occasion.

(3)Before giving assistance to, or in respect of, a person in cash under subsection (1) of this section a local authority shall have regard to his eligibility for receiving assistance from any other statutory body and, if he is so eligible, to the availability to him of that assistance in his time of need.

[F5(3A)In determining for the purposes of this section whether to provide assistance by way of residential accommodation to a person, a local authority shall disregard so much of the person’s capital as does not exceed the capital limit for the purposes of section 22 of the M2National Assistance Act 1948.

(3B)For the purposes of subsection (3A) of this section—

(a)a person’s capital shall be calculated in accordance with assessment regulations in the same way as if he were a person for whom accommodation is proposed to be provided under this Act and whose ability to pay falls to be assessed for the purposes of section 22(3) of the National Assistance Act 1948; and

(b)the capital limit for the purposes of section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948” means the amount for the time being prescribed in assessment regulations as the amount which a resident’s capital (calculated in accordance with such regulations) must not exceed if he is to be assessed as unable to pay for his accommodation at the standard rate;

and in this subsection “assessment regulations” means regulations made for the purposes of section 22(5) of the National Assistance Act 1948 or section 87(5) of this Act.]

(4)Assistance given in kind or in cash to, or in respect of, persons under this section may be given unconditionally or subject to such conditions as to the repayment of the assistance, or of its value, whether in whole or in part, as the local authority may consider reasonable having regard to the means of the person receiving the assistance and to the eligibility of the person for assistance from any other statutory body.

(5)Nothing in the provisions of this section shall affect the performance by a local authority of their functions under any other enactment.

[F6(6)For the purposes of subsection (2) of this section “person in need” includes a person who is in need of care and attention arising out of drug or alcohol dependency or release from prison or other form of detention.]

Textual Amendments

F4Words in s. 12(1)(2) substituted (12.12.1996 for certain purposes and otherwise 1.4.1997) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4), Sch. 4 para. 15(11) (with s. 103(1)); S.I. 1996/3201, art. 3(6)(7) (which said art. 3(7) was substituted (7.3.1997) by S.I. 1997/744, art. 2 (with transitional provisions inserted into S.I. 1996/3201 by art. 3))

F5S. 12(3A)(3B) inserted (11.8.1998) by 1998 c. 19, ss. 2, 3(2)

Marginal Citations