Commentary on Sections Part 3: Other Support and Assistance Section 47: Asylum-seeker: family with children
127.Section 47 extends section 122 of the 1999 Act to accommodation centres by inserting a new section 122 into the 1999 Act. The new section 122 places a duty on the Secretary of State, where support under section 95 of the 1999 Act or section 17 of this Act is applied for by a person whom the Secretary of State thinks is eligible for support, to offer support under one of those provisions where the asylum seeker’s household includes a dependant child under the age of 18. It also prevents local authorities from assisting a child under various provisions of the Children Act 1989 (or equivalent Scottish or Northern Irish legislation) if the Secretary of State has offered support in respect of the child and that offer remains open, or if the Secretary of State is providing the child with support under section 95 of the 1999 Act or section 17 of this Act, or has indicated that he would offer to support the child if an application for support were made, subject to any order disapplying subsection (3) made under subsection (5). Where support has been offered or provided pursuant to this section but later withdrawn, subsection (6) provides that only the local authority within whose area the withdrawn support was provided may provide assistance under the various child welfare provisions set out in subsection (4).