Health and Social Care Act 2012

Prospective

139Imposition of levyE+W

(1)The power under section 135(2) includes, in particular, power to impose a levy on providers for each financial year.

(2)Before deciding whether to impose a levy under this section for the coming financial year, [F1NHS England] must estimate—

(a)the amount that will be required for the purpose of providing financial assistance in accordance with this Chapter,

(b)the amount that will be collected from [F2integrated care boards] by way of charges imposed by virtue of section 138 during that year, and

(c)the amount that will be standing to the credit of the fund at the end of the current financial year.

(3)Before the start of a financial year in which [F3NHS England] proposes to impose a levy under this section, it must determine—

(a)the factors by reference to which the rate of the levy is to be assessed,

(b)the time or times by reference to which those factors are to be assessed, and

(c)the time or times during the year when the levy, or an instalment of it, becomes payable.

(4)Where the determinations under subsection (3) reflect changes made to the factors by reference to which the rate of the levy is to be assessed, the notice under section 143(1)(b) must include an explanation of those changes.

(5)A levy under this section may be imposed at different rates for different providers.

Prospective

141ConsultationE+W

(1)This section applies where [F6NHS England] is proposing to impose a levy under section 139 for the coming financial year and—

(a)has not imposed a levy under that section for the current financial year or any previous year,

(b)has been imposing the levy for the current financial year but proposes to make relevant changes to it for the coming financial year, or

(c)has been imposing the levy for the current financial year and the financial year preceding it, but has not been required to serve a notice under this section in respect of the levy for either of those years.

(2)A change to a levy is relevant for the purposes of subsection (1)(b) if it is a change to the factors by reference to which the rate of the levy is to be assessed.

(3)Before making the determinations under section 139(3) in respect of the levy, [F7NHS England] must send a notice to—

(a)the Secretary of State,

F8(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F9(c)each integrated care board,]

(d)each potentially liable provider, and

(e)such other persons as it considers appropriate.

(4)[F10NHS England] must publish a notice that it sends under subsection (3).

(5)In a case within subsection (1)(a) or (c), the notice must state—

(a)the factors by reference to which [F11NHS England] proposes to assess the rate of the levy,

(b)the time or times by reference to which it proposes to assess those factors, and

(c)the time or times during the coming financial year when it proposes that the levy, or an instalment of it, will become payable.

(6)In a case within subsection (1)(b), the notice must specify the relevant changes [F12NHS England] proposes to make.

(7)A notice under this section must specify when the consultation period in relation to the proposals ends; and for that purpose, the consultation period is the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which the notice is published under subsection (4).

(8)In this section F13... a “potentially liable provider” means a provider on whom [F14NHS England] is proposing to impose the levy for the coming financial year (regardless of the amount (if any) that the provider would be liable to pay as a result of the proposal).

Prospective

143Amount payableE+W

(1)[F16NHS England] must—

(a)calculate the amount which each provider who is to be subject to a levy under section 139 for a financial year is to be liable to pay in respect of that year, and

(b)notify the provider of that amount and the date or dates on which it, or instalments of it, will become payable.

(2)If the provider is to be subject to the levy for only part of the financial year, it is to be liable to pay only the amount which bears to the amount payable for the whole financial year the same proportion as the part of the financial year for which the provider is to be subject to the levy bears to the whole financial year.

(3)The amount which a provider is liable to pay may be zero.

(4)Subsection (5) applies if, during a financial year in which [F17NHS England] is imposing a levy under section 139, it becomes satisfied that the risk of a provider who is subject to the levy going into special administration has changed by reference to what it was—

(a)at the start of the year, or

(b)if [F17NHS England] has already exercised the power under subsection (5) in relation to the levy in the case of that provider, at the time it did so.

(5)[F17NHS England] may notify the provider that [F17NHS England] proposes to adjust the amount that the provider is liable to pay so as to reflect the change; and the notice must specify the amount of the proposed adjustment.

(6)Following the expiry of the period of 28 days beginning with the day after that on which [F17NHS England] sends the notice, it may make the adjustment.

(7)In a case within subsection (2), subsection (4) has effect as if references to the financial year were references to the part of the financial year for which the provider is to be subject to the levy.

(8)Where a provider who reasonably believes that [F18NHS England] has miscalculated the amount notified to the provider under subsection (1) or (5) requests [F18NHS England] to recalculate the amount, [F18NHS England] must—

(a)comply with the request, and

(b)send the provider written notice of its recalculation.

(9)Subsection (8) does not apply to a request to recalculate an amount in respect of a financial year preceding the one in which the request is made.

(10)If the whole or part of the amount which a person is liable to pay is not paid by the date by which it is required to be paid, the unpaid balance carries interest at the rate for the time being specified in section 17 of the Judgments Act 1838; and the unpaid balance and accrued interest are recoverable summarily as a civil debt (but this does not affect any other method of recovery).