National Assistance Act 1948

10 Assistance in special cases.

(1) Where it appears to the Board that an applicant for assistance, being a person who is not in receipt of unemployment benefit under the [9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 67.] National Insurance Act, 1946, refuses or neglects to maintain himself or any person whom for the purposes of this Act he is liable to maintain, the Board may make a report to the Appeal Tribunal, and the Tribunal, after giving the applicant an opportunity of being heard, may direct that during such period as may be specified in the direction he shall be subject to the following provisions of this section.

(2) The Board may require, as a condition of the making of an assistance grant in respect of any such period as aforesaid, that the applicant shall attend such course of instruction or training approved by the Minister of National Insurance for the purpose of this section as the Board may specify and that he shall comply with the rules there in force.

(3) The Board may, in lieu of giving assistance in respect of any period specified in a direction under subsection (1) of this section by the making of assistance grants, give assistance by maintaining the applicant in a re-establishment centre provided under this Part of this Act or in accordance with arrangements under subsection (4) of this section, or subsection (5) thereof so long as it is in force, and by making to him such payments (if any) for meeting his personal requirements as the Board think fit.

(4) The Board may enter into arrangements with another Government department or with a voluntary organisation for the maintenance of persons in whose case directions under subsection (1) of this section are in force in a centre provided by the department or organisation for purposes similar to the purposes of a re-establishment centre.

(5) The Board may make arrangements with a local authority managing premises in which accommodation is provided under Part III of this Act for the maintenance of such persons as aforesaid in accommodation provided in the premises for the purposes of this subsection.

(6) Where a person in whose case a direction under subsection (1) of this section is in force represents to the Appeal Tribunal that there has been a change of circumstances and that by reason thereof the direction ought to be revoked, the Tribunal, after giving the Board an opportunity of being heard, may if they think fit revoke the direction.

(7) Subsection (5) of this section shall continue in force for two years and no longer.