{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-assistance-act-1948/section-51",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-assistance-act-1948/section-51.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Geo6/11-12/29",
  "legislation_title": "National Assistance Act 1948",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-assistance-act-1948",
  "path": "section/51",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "51",
  "heading": "Failure to maintain.",
  "text": "(1) Where a person persistently refuses or neglects to maintain himself ... , and in consequence of his refusal or neglect ... accommodation under Part III thereof is provided for him , he shall be guilty of an offence.\n(2) For the purposes of this section, a person shall not be deemed to refuse or neglect to maintain himself ... by reason only of anything done or omitted in furtherance of a trade dispute.\n(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months—\n(a) ... to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months;\n(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 4 omitted (except ss. 49, 68) (W.) (6.4.2016) by virtue of The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/413), regs. 2(1), 9(1) [Editorial note: This Act no longer applies in relation to England (1.4.2015) as a consequence of the Care Act 2014 (c. 23), Pt. 1 and the amendments made by The Care Act 2014 and Children and Families Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/914), Sch. paras. 1-10]"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 51(1) repealed (S.) (5.10.2007) by Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 10), s. 79(3), Sch. 2; S.S.I. 2007/334, art. 2(b), Sch. 2; and repealed (E.W.) (6.4.2009) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), ss. 147(1)(d), 170(3)(4), Sch. 15 Pt. 5 (with Sch. 13); S.I. 2009/462, art. 4(a)(c); S.I. 2009/631, art. 2(a)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words repealed by Ministry of Social Security Act 1966 (c. 20), Sch. 8"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in s. 51(1) substituted (S.) (5.10.2007) by Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 10), s. 79(3), Sch. 1 para. 1(b)(i); S.S.I. 2007/334, art. 2(b), Sch. 2; and substituted (E.W.) (6.4.2009) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), ss. 147(3), 170(3)(4) (with Sch. 13); S.I. 2009/462, art. 4(a); S.I. 2009/631, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 51(2) repealed (S.) (5.10.2007) by Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 10), s. 79(3), Sch. 2; S.S.I. 2007/334, art. 2(b), Sch. 2; and repealed (E.W.) (6.4.2009) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), s. 170(3)(4), Sch. 15 Pt. 5 (with Sch. 13); S.I. 2009/462, art. 4(c); S.I. 2009/631, art. 2(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 51(3) inserted (S.) (5.10.2007) by Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 10), s. 79(3), Sch. 1 para. 1(b)(ii); S.S.I. 2007/334, art. 2(b), Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "S. 51(3)(a)(b) repealed (S.) (5.10.2007) by Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 10), s. 79(3), Sch. 2; S.S.I. 2007/334, art. 2(b), Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 51(3)(a) repealed (E.W.) (6.4.2009) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), s. 170(3)(4), Sch. 15 Pt. 5 (with Sch. 13); S.I. 2009/462, art. 4(c); S.I. 2009/631, art. 2(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 51(3)(b) repealed (E.W.) (6.4.2009) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), s. 170(3)(4), Sch. 15 Pt. 5 (with Sch. 13); S.I. 2009/462, art. 4(c); S.I. 2009/631, art. 2(c)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2003/44",
      "affecting_title": "Criminal Justice Act 2003"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2003/44",
      "affecting_title": "Criminal Justice Act 2003"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/11-12/29/section/51",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:23:20.245114+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}