Facts: Mr Mani had limited mobility as a result of physical disability. He needed help with domestic tasks and was a destitute asylum-seeker.

Judgment: the Court of Appeal (Simon Brown and Judge LJJ, Nelson J) held that the claimant’s needs did not arise solely as a result of destitution so that, because regulations 6 and 23 of the Asylum Support Regulations 2000 required the local authorities to disregard the availability of Home Office support, they were under a duty to provide the claimants with residential accommodation under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948.

Comment: it seems likely that the same result will follow under the Care Act 2014 (the Asylum Support Regulations 2000 remain unchanged).