Privacy Notice - Housing Benefit
Privacy Notice – Housing Benefits/Council Tax Reduction
What personal information do you hold?
* We hold the full name and date of birth for all household members included on a claim. We do not hold this for joint tenants where they do not have their own claim.
* Marital/relationship status
* National Insurance number for anyone with an income
* Full address including past addresses if moved within the area
* Tenancy information including any rent arrears, number and type of rooms in your house, landlord/agents. If you are a tenant or home owner
Contact telephone numbers, email addresses, Ethnic status – where supplied
* Income for all the household – including but not exhausted to earnings, Tax Credits, ESA, JSA, UC, Pension Credits, DLA/PIP, Carers Allowance, Private and State Pensions, Child Benefit etc…
* Capital – All declared current and past bank/building society/Post Office/PayPal accounts, Trust funds, Income/Premium Bonds, Stocks and Shares
* If you are under an IVA or Bankruptcy
* In some circumstances we may hold medical information – if you have applied for a backdate, the extra bedroom (due to under-occupancy) or further help (under Discretionary Housing Payment/Exceptional Hardship Payment policies) – For DHP/EHP and collection of an overpayment we may also hold your expenditure details as well as your income
Who is collecting it?
Housing Benefit, Council Tax, Customer First staff, Housing and Housing Needs
How is it collected?
Online claim forms, email, telephone calls, visit to the offices, post, DWP, HMRC
Why is it being collected?
To ensure claims are assessed correctly and to prevent or detect crime and protect public funds
How will it be used?
To process your claim for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction
To assess any entitlement to DHP/EHP or other help as mentioned above
Who will it be shared with?
Personal data may be shared if appropriate with other departments within Mid Devon Council, other Local Authorities and agencies such as Police, HM Revenue & Customs, Department for Work & Pensions
What are you doing to ensure the security of personal information?
All ICT systems are accredited to Public Service Network standards with access restricted to relevant staff. All paper records are stored securely and we have a clear desk policy
How long will you be keeping the personal information for?
Your personal information will be kept for however long you have an open and active claim. Once this has been closed or inactive for more than 7 years your personal data will be removed from our system unless there is an overpayment then your personal data can be kept up to 20 years whilst it is still outstanding.