Public Assistance Act, 1939

Liability to contribute to cost of general assistance.

29.—Where a public assistance authority (in this section referred to as the said authority) grants general assistance to any person (in this section referred to as the assisted person) the following provisions shall have effect, that is to say:—

(a) every person (in this section referred to as the person liable) who is liable to maintain the assisted person shall be liable to contribute according to his ability to the general assistance so granted;

(b) the said authority may apply to the District Court, on notice to the person liable, for an order for the contribution by that person to the general assistance so granted;

(c) where, on an application to the District Court under this section, the Court is satisfied that the person liable is, at the time of the hearing of such application, able to contribute to the general assistance so given, the Court shall fix the amount of the contribution to be made by the person liable and shall order the payment of the amount so fixed to the said authority by the person liable either in one sum or by such weekly or monthly instalments as the Court shall think proper;

(d) an order by the District Court under this section for the payment of a sum to the said authority shall be enforceable in the like manner and by the like means as an order by the District Court for the payment of a sum of money in a civil case is enforceable;

(e) the said authority shall not recover by means of applications under this section to the District Court a greater amount than the cost of the general assistance so granted or, where a contribution has been made in pursuance of this section without any such application, a greater amount than the difference between such contribution and such cost.