Subject to the provisions of section 14 of this Act, and of this section, a local authority may recover from persons availing themselves of any service provided under this Act such charges (if any) as, having regard to the cost of the service, the authority may determine, whether generally or in the circumstances of any particular case.

Persons, other than maintainable children, for whom accommodation is provided under this Act, shall be required to pay for that accommodation in accordance with the subsequent provisions of this section.

Subject to the following provisions of this section, accommodation provided under this Act shall be regarded as accommodation provided under Part III of the [1948 c. 29.] National Assistance Act 1948, and sections 22(2) to (9) and 26(2) to (4) (charges for accommodation and provision of accommodation in premises maintained by voluntary organisations) and sections 42 to 44 of the said Act of 1948 (which make provision for the mutual maintenance of wives and husbands and the maintenance of their children by recovery of assistance from persons liable for maintenance and for affiliation orders, etc.) shall apply accordingly.

In the application of the said section 22, for any reference to the Minister there shall be substituted a reference to the Secretary of State, and in the application of the said section 26, any references to arrangements under a scheme for the provision of accommodation shall be construed as references to arrangements made by a local authority with a voluntary organisation for the provision of accommodation under this Act.

The Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Treasury, make regulations for modifying or adjusting the rates at which payments under this section are made, where such a course appears to him to be justified, and any such regulations may provide for the waiving of any such payment in whole or in part in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations.

A local authority may refer to the Supplementary Benefits Commission for investigation any question arising as to the resources or other circumstances of a person applying for accommodation under this Act or for whom such accommodation is being provided.