Benefits Privacy Notice

Please see our full Privacy Notice

Updated: 24 March 2023

Reviewed: 24 March 2023

The reasons we use your data

  • to carry out benefit assessments and provide advice about entitlement to benefits
  • to assess the entitlement for housing benefits and Council Tax support
  • to process benefit claims
  • to process and consider appeals for benefit decisions
  • to determine and process overpayments of benefit
  • to process applications for discretionary housing payments
  • to maximise your income and source any additional financial help for you
  • to assist with the prevention, investigation and prosecution of any fraudulent activity

Why we are allowed to use your data

Legal obligation (UK GDPR Art 6(1)(c)) under various UK laws including but not limited to:

In some circumstances we collect special category data about your health and disabilities the legal basis we rely on is: UK GDPR Art 9(2)(g). Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 1 Part 2 paragraph 6 – Statutory government purposes

Who we can share your data with

  • contractors (to post correspondence)
  • enforcement agents
  • government departments
  • HM Courts and Tribunals Service
  • internal departments
  • landlords
  • Local Government Ombudsman
  • other local authorities
  • police

When computers make any decisions about you

Automated processing of records provided from the Department for Work and Pensions.

How long we keep your data for

We keep all records relating to benefits for as long as you have a live and ongoing claim with us. Even if your claim is closed, we will keep your Benefit records for the current financial year and for the six financial years following the year that your claim is closed. We may keep your data longer in certain circumstances, for example if you were overpaid benefit and you are still paying that benefit back to us – we will keep your data for the current year and for the six financial years following the date you repaid the total overpayment.

When your data gets sent to other countries

Not applicable


Please see our full Privacy Notice

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