PN0001-2
Review Feb 2023
Public Services - Benefits & Welfare
Calderdale Council of Town Hall, Crossley Street, Halifax, HX1 1UJ is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) under the provision of the Data Protection Act 2018. The Council takes its responsibilities as Data Controller under the Act very seriously.
This privacy notice explains how Calderdale Council will use your personal information to administer Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.
The type of information we will collect and process
The following information will be collected directly from you or from a member of your household:
- Name, address, telephone number and email address
- Date of birth, gender, national insurance number
- Property status, contract details and Landlord’s address and contact details if applicable, previous address and status and any previous housing benefit/council tax help received
- If partner is living with you, their name, date of birth, national insurance number
- Any dependant children’s names and dates of birth
- any other household member’s name, date of birth
- Country of birth of you and your partner if they live with you
- Financial information relating to all the above people including earnings, employer details, benefit and pension information, and information relating to capital held, including any bank accounts or investments.
- Name, address, and contact details of any person making a notification in relation to any liable party whether living or dead and any Power of Attorney details.
- Details of any disability in so far as it relates to another social security benefit or the suitability of accommodation occupied by the applicant or any other resident.
- Whether you are a carer
- Ethnicity if you have chosen to give it for Equalities monitoring purposes
The purpose of processing your information
Your personal information is collected for the following purposes:
- To calculate your entitlement to help towards your rent, council tax or where appropriate free school meals
- To administer the making of payments
- For the recovery of overpayments
- To deal with appeals
- For the prevention, investigation and prosecution of any fraudulent activity
- To assess the quality of our services, evaluate and improve our performance and statistical data to inform decisions about the future delivery of services
- To enable us to carry out specific functions for which we are responsible in accordance with the Social Security and Welfare Reform Acts.
The lawful basis for the processing of your information
Personal information is processed under the following legal basis:
- Article 6(1)(e) - processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
Special Category Information is processed under the following conditions:
- Article 9(2)(a) – Explicit consent in relation to the processing of Ethnicity data
- Article 9(2)(b) – To comply with employment, social security, and social protection law in relation to the processing of Health data in accordance with our legal obligations under the following legislation:
- Social Security Administration act 1992
- Social Security Act 1998
- Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000
- Education Act 2002.
- Local Government Finance Act 1992
- Social Security Fraud Act 2001
- Welfare Reform Act 2012
Sharing your personal data
Your personal information will be shared with other Calderdale Council services where necessary for the purpose of processing and the following organisations:
- Department for Work and Pensions
- Other local authorities
- HM Revenue and Customs
- Cabinet Office (as part of the National Fraud Initiative)
Calderdale Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, to prevent or detect fraud. Your data will not be shared with any third parties without your consent unless the law allows us to do so.
How long we will keep your information
Your personal information along with a record of payments made will be kept for a maximum of 7 years after your claim has ended, at which time your data will be securely destroyed.
Your rights
UK GDPR provides the following rights for individuals. Not all rights are absolute and therefore will only apply in certain circumstances:
- The right to be informed
- The right of access
- The right to rectification
- The right to erasure
- The right to restrict processing
- The right to data portability
- The right to object
- Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.
You can make a request in respect of these rights to Benefits.support@calderdale.gov.uk
You have the right to complain to the Data Protection Officer if you feel that your data has not been handled in accordance with the law. You can contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer at information.management@calderdale.gov.uk.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk