Council Tax and Benefits privacy notice

How Council Tax and Benefits uses and shares your data. Please note 'your data' includes data you provide about others in your household, such as a partner or non-dependants.

This departmental privacy notice should be read in conjunction with the Council's corporate privacy notice.

Using your data

Reasons for using your data:

• Statutory requirements e.g. reporting to Government
• Service delivery
• Service improvement and planning
• Regulatory, licensing and enforcement functions
• Prevention and detection of crime
• Financial transactions
• Research including consultations
• Equality monitoring
• Predictive analysis to support officers in their decision making

Why we are allowed to use your data

Legal obligation or public task under various UK laws including but not limited to:

• The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992
• Freedom of information Act 2000
• Environmental Regulation 2004
• Data Protection Act 2018
• UK General Data Protection Regulation
• Housing Benefit Regulations 2006
• Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992

Obtaining and sharing your data with others

We collect your personal data from you, or from others (e.g. Council staff in other departments or external organisations or individuals) who inform us of matters relevant to this service area.

We can share your data with:

• National Regulators e.g. Information Commissioner’s Office, Ombudsman, Investigatory Powers Commissioner
• Department of Work and Pensions
• Regulatory, licensing and enforcement functions
• The Police and other agencies for the prevention and detection of crime
• Other departments within the Council, including shared services

We sometimes need information about people other than the person who has applied for a benefit, to work out what that person is entitled to. For example, where a person makes a claim for benefit, we need information about other people who live in the same household to work out how much the person will be paid. This information may be gained from other agencies such as the HM Revenues and Customs and Department of Work and Pensions. 

Using your data to make automated decisions

We do not use your data to make automated decisions.

Data sent to countries outside of the EEA

Generally, the Council will not process your personal data outside of the UK or the EEA. In exceptions where we do, we will ensure equivalent data protection controls are in place.

Further information

To see what data is collected and how to exercise your rights to your data, please read our corporate privacy notice.