- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As enacted)
Prospective version(s) available. Show Timeline of Changes![]()
The version on screen is currently in force, but there is a version available (prospective version) to show how it could change.
The prospective version will remain prospective until a date is appointed by an appropriate person or body to bring those changes into force.
To see the prospective version, use the Show Timeline of Changes feature under ‘Advanced Features’.
Commencement Orders listed in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ box as not yet applied may bring changes and effects in the prospective version into force.
There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial team to Children Act 1989. Any changes that have already been made by the team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.![]()
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
This section lists the changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act, associated Parts and Chapters where applicable. This includes any insertions of whole new Parts, Chapters or provisions yet to be inserted into this Act. These effects are included in this view as they may be (but won’t necessarily be) relevant to the specific provision that you are viewing.
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
This section lists the commencement orders yet to be applied to the whole Act. These effects are included in this view as they may be (but won’t necessarily be) relevant to the specific provision that you are viewing. Where applicable the commencement orders are listed under two headings, firstly those that bring some part of the Act you are viewing into force and secondly, those that bring into force legislation that affects some part of the legislation you are viewing. If you are viewing a prospective version or there is a prospective version available there may be commencement orders listed here that are relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Commencement Orders bringing legislation that affects this Act into force:
(1)Where a local authority provide any service under section 17 or 18, other than advice, guidance or counselling, they may recover from a person specified in subsection (4) such charge for the service as they consider reasonable.
(2)Where the authority are satisfied that that person’s means are insufficient for it to be reasonably practicable for him to pay the charge, they shall not require him to pay more than he can reasonably be expected to pay.
(3)No person shall be liable to pay any charge under subsection (1) [F1for a service provided under section 17 or section 18(1) or (5)] at any time when he is in receipt of income support [F2under][F3Part VII of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992][F4, of any element of child tax credit other than the family element, of working tax credit][F5[F6, of an income-based jobseeker's allowance or of an income-related employment and support allowance]].
[F7(3A)No person shall be liable to pay any charge under subsection (1) for a service provided under section 18(2) or (6) at any time when he is in receipt of income support under Part VII of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 [F6, of an income-based jobseeker's allowance or of an income-related employment and support allowance] .]
[F8(3B)No person shall be liable to pay any charge under subsection (1) for a service provided under section 18(2) or (6) at any time when—
(a)he is in receipt of guarantee state pension credit under section 1(3)(a) of the State Pension Credit Act 2002, or
(b)he is a member of a [F9couple] (within the meaning of that Act) the other member of which is in receipt of guarantee state pension credit.]
(4)The persons are—
(a)where the service is provided for a child under sixteen, each of his parents;
(b)where it is provided for a child who has reached the age of sixteen, the child himself; and
(c)where it is provided for a member of the child’s family, that member.
(5)Any charge under subsection (1) may, without prejudice to any other method of recovery, be recovered summarily as a civil debt.
(6)Part III of Schedule 2 makes provision in connection with contributions towards the maintenance of children who are being looked after by local authorities and consists of the re-enactment with modifications of provisions in Part V of the M1Child Care Act 1980.
(7)Where a local authority provide any accommodation under section 20(1) for a child who was (immediately before they began to look after him) ordinarily resident within the area of another local authority, they may recover from that other authority any reasonable expenses incurred by them in providing the accommodation and maintaining him.
(8)Where a local authority provide accommodation under section 21(1) or (2)(a) or (b) for a child who is ordinarily resident within the area of another local authority and they are not maintaining him in—
(a)a community home provided by them;
(b)a controlled community home; or
(c)a hospital vested in the Secretary of State [F10, the Welsh Ministers][F11or a Primary Care Trust][F12or any other hospital made available pursuant to arrangements made by [F13a Strategic Health Authority,] a [F14Local Health Board][F11or a Primary Care Trust,]],
they may recover from that other authority any reasonable expenses incurred by them in providing the accommodation and maintaining him.
(9)[F15Except where subsection (10) applies,] Where a local authority comply with any request under section 27(2) in relation to a child or other person who is not ordinarily resident within their area, they may recover from the local authority in whose area the child or person is ordinarily resident any [F16reasonable expenses] incurred by them in respect of that person.
[F17(10)Where a local authority (“authority A”) comply with any request under section 27(2) from another local authority (“authority B”) in relation to a child or other person—
(a)whose responsible authority is authority B for the purposes of section 23B or 23C; or
(b)whom authority B are advising or befriending or to whom they are giving assistance by virtue of section 24(5)(a),
authority A may recover from authority B any reasonable expenses incurred by them in respect of that person.]
Annotations are used to give authority for changes and other effects on the legislation you are viewing and to convey editorial information. They appear at the foot of the relevant provision or under the associated heading. Annotations are categorised by annotation type, such as F-notes for textual amendments and I-notes for commencement information (a full list can be found in the Editorial Practice Guide). Each annotation is identified by a sequential reference number. For F-notes, M-notes and X-notes, the number also appears in bold superscript at the relevant location in the text. All annotations contain links to the affecting legislation.
Editorial Information
X1The prospective insertion of the new heading "Independent reviewing officers" in Pt. III gives rise to a change in the structure of this legislation on SLD which breaks the continuity of historical versions of the existing provisions which are now brought under that new heading.
Amendments (Textual)
F1Words in s. 29(3) inserted (25.8.2000 in relation to E. and otherwise 28.7.2001) by 2000 c. 22, ss. 103(1), 108(4); S.I. 2000/2420, art. 2
F2Words in s. 29(3) substituted (6.4.2003) by 2002 c. 21, ss. 47, 61, Sch. 3 para. 18(a); S.I. 2003/962, art. 2(3)(d)(iii) (subject to savings and transitional provisions in arts. 3, 4)
F3Words in s. 29(3) substituted (1.7.1992) by Social Security (Consequential Provisions) Act 1992 (c. 6), ss. 4, 7(2), Sch. 2 para 108(b).
F4Words in s. 29(3) inserted (6.4.2003) by 2002 c. 21, ss. 47, 61, Sch. 3 para. 18(b); S.I. 2003/962, art. 2(3)(d)(iii) (subject to savings and transitional provisions in arts. 3, 4)
F5Words in s. 29(3) added (7.10.1996) by 1995 c. 18, s. 41(4), Sch. 2 para. 19(3); S.I. 1996/2208, art. 2
F6Words in s. 29(3)(3A) substituted (27.10.2008) by Welfare Reform Act 2007 (c. 5), ss. 28, 70, {Sch, 3 para. 6(4)}; S.I. 2008/787, art. 2(4)(f)
F7S. 29(3A) inserted (25.8.2000 in relation to E. and otherwise 28.7.2001) by 2000 c. 22, ss. 103(1), 108(4); S.I. 2000/2420, art. 2
F8S. 29(3B) inserted (2.7.2002 for certain purposes, otherwise 6.10.2003) by 2002 c. 16, s. 14, Sch. 2 para. 30; S.I. 2002/1691, art. 2; S.I. 2003/1766, art. 2(a)
F9Words in s. 29(3B) substituted (5.12.2005) by The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Overseas Relationships and Consequential, etc. Amendments) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/3129), art. 4(4), Sch. 4 para. 9
F10Words in s. 29(8)(c) inserted (13.11.2008) by Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (c. 23), ss. 39, 44, Sch. 3 para. 20
F11Words in s. 29(8)(c) inserted (8.2.2000) by S.I. 2000/90, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 24(6)
F12Words in s. 29(8)(c) added by National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19, SIF 113:2), s. 66(1), Sch. 9 para. 36(3)
F13Words in s. 29(8)(c) inserted (1.10.2002) by S.I. 2002/2469, reg. 4 Sch. 1 Pt. 1 para. 16(2)
F14Words in s. 29(8)(c) substituted (1.4.2007) by The References to Health Authorities Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/961), arts. 2, 3 {Sch. para. 20(2)(e)}
F15Words in s. 29(9) inserted (1.10.2001) by 2000 c. 35, s. 7(3)(a); S.I. 2001/2191, art. 2; 2001/2878, art. 2
F16Words in s. 29(9) substituted (14.10.1991) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 76:1), s. 116, Sch. 16 para. 15; S.I. 1991/1883, art. 3, Sch.
F17S. 29(10) inserted (1.10.2001) by 2000 c. 35, s. 7(3)(b); S.I. 2001/2191, art. 2; S.I. 2001/2878, art. 2
Commencement Information
I1S. 29 in force at 14.10.1991 see s. 108(2)(3) and S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2)
Marginal Citations
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Schedules only you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made):The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include: