Part VII Charges for Local Authority Services
17 Charges for local authority services in England and Wales.
1
Subject to subsection (3) below, an authority F7in England providing a service to which this section applies may recover such charge (if any) for it as they consider reasonable.
2
This section applies to services provided under the following enactments—
a
section 29 of the M1National Assistance Act 1948 (welfare arrangements for blind, deaf, dumb and crippled persons etc.);
b
section 45(1) of the M2Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 (welfare of old people);
c
d
section 8 of the M3Residential Homes Act 1980 (meals and recreation for old people); and
e
paragraph 1 of Part II of Schedule 9 to this Act
F1f
section 2 of the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000
F2other than the provision of services for which payment may be required under section 22 or 26 of the National Assistance Act 1948.
F52A
Subject to subsection (3) below, an authority in Wales providing a service under section 2 of the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 in the form of residential care may recover such charge (if any) for it as they consider reasonable.
3
If a person—
a
avails himself of a service to which this section applies, and
b
satisfies the authority providing the service that his means are insufficient for it to be reasonably practicable for him to pay for the service the amount which he would otherwise be obliged to pay for it,
the authority shall not require him to pay more for it than it appears to them that it is reasonably practicable for him to pay.
4
Any charge under this section may, without prejudice to any other method of recovery, be recovered summarily as a civil debt.
F35
This section has effect subject to any regulations under section 15 of the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003 (power to require certain community care services and services for carers to be free of charge).