Revenues and Benefits Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 8 June 2023
This privacy notice tells you what to expect when South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) collects personal information in relation to your use of SLDC’s Revenues and Benefits services.
Purpose of processing and legal basis for processing your personal information
The billing, collection and enforcement of local taxation and other miscellaneous debts as well as the assessment and payment of Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support is the statutory responsibility of the District Council.
In order to enable SLDC to carry out its duty and/or obligations it is necessary for us to collect personal information from you to include your name, address, contact details and other personal information to support any application for a reduction in Council Tax, Non Domestic Rates or assessment of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support.
Who we share your information with
We work with a range of other organisations to either store personal information or help us deliver our services to you. We may also share your personal information when we feel there’s a good reason that’s more important than protecting your privacy. As an example, we may share your information in order to find and stop crime and fraud.
Those that we share your information with are:
- other SLDC Services
- bodies investigating or processing claims
- public sector agencies for example Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC, other local authorities and private sector companies such as credit reference agencies
- bodies working to prevent fraud and supporting national fraud initiatives
Retention period or criteria used to determine the retention period
We will retain your personal information in accordance with the retention periods contained in the Council’s Records Retention Schedule and Record of Processing Activity (RoPA).
The sources the personal data originates from and whether it came from publicly accessible sources
Personal information originates mainly from the customer but can be provided by other sources on an individual basis eg Letting Agents, Solicitors, Landlords, Other Council Services, or other third parties particularly when a property is occupied and/or vacated.
Information is also provided by other bodies to assist with the processing of applications for Housing Benefit and/or Local Council Tax Support or reduction in Council Tax and/or Non Domestic Rates as well as the prevention of fraud as below:
- Department of Work and Pensions
- Valuation Office Agency
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- Jobcentre Plus
- Pension Service
- Credit Reference Agencies
- other local authorities and/or County Council’s
Whether the provision of personal data is part of a statutory or contractual requirement or obligation and possible consequences of failing to provide the personal data
We have a statutory duty to provide these services to you and you are therefore expressly consenting to our use and disclosure of your personal information in the manner described in this privacy notice therefore the consequences of you failing to provide your personal information is that we can no longer comply with our statutory duty.
The existence of automated decision making, including profiling and information about how decisions are made, the significance and the consequences
Where this occurs we ensure through monitoring against SLDC’s policies and procedures that the correct decision and outcome is verified.
Changes to this privacy policy
We keep our privacy policy under regular review. This privacy notice was last updated May 2018.
The data controller and their contact details
We processes large amounts of personal, special category personal or criminal/law enforcement data, referred to in legislation as a data controller. We are registered with with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
If you have concerns about the way the council has processed your data, please contact us:
- dataprotection@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
- Westmorland and Furness Council, South Lakeland House, Lowther Street, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4DQ
If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
View our privacy notification and privacy statement
Your rights about your data
You have the right to request access to information about you that we hold. To make a request for your personal information, contact our Data Protection Officer, whose details are above.
You also have the right to:
- object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress
- prevent processing for the purpose of direct marketing
- object to decisions being taken by automated means
- in certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed
- claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Data Protection regulations
If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, we request that you raise your concern with us in the first instance. Alternatively, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office.