Public Assistance Act, 1939

Liability to repay cost of public assistance.

28.—Where public assistance has been given by a public assistance authority (in this section referred to as the said authority) to any person (in this section referred to as the assisted person) the following provisions shall apply and have effect, that is to say:—

(a) it shall be the duty of the assisted person or, on his default, whether complete or partial, of every person liable to maintain him, to repay to the said authority according to their respective abilities the cost of the public assistance so given to the assisted person;

(b) where the whole or any portion of the public assistance so given has not been repaid to the said authority in pursuance of this section and the said authority is at any time of opinion that the assisted person is able to repay to the said authority the whole or portion of such public assistance so unrepaid, the said authority may apply to the District Court on notice to the assisted person for an order for such repayment as aforesaid by the assisted person;

(c) where the whole or any portion of the public assistance so given has not been repaid to the said authority in pursuance of this section and the said authority is at any time of opinion that the assisted person is unable to repay to the said authority the public assistance so unrepaid and that some person who was, at the time when such public assistance was so given, liable to maintain the assisted person is able to repay to the said authority the whole or a portion of the public assistance so unrepaid, the said authority may apply to the District Court on notice to the said other person for an order for such repayment as aforesaid by the said other person;

(d) where, on an application under this section to the District Court for the repayment of public assistance, the Court is satisfied that the person from whom repayment is sought is, at the time of the hearing of such application, able to repay the sum or a portion of the sum repayment of which is sought, the Court shall fix the sum to be repaid by such person and shall order the repayment thereof by such person to the said authority either in one sum or by such weekly or monthly instalments as the Court shall think proper;

(e) an order by the District Court under this section for the repayment 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;

(f) 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 public assistance so given or, where portion of such public assistance has been repaid in pursuance of this section without any such application, a greater amount than the difference between the amount so repaid and the said cost.