What information we collect, hold and use

The information we collect about you would include, but is not limited to:

• name
• date of birth
• National Insurance Number
• National Health Service (NHS) number
• address
• contact details (phone/mobile/email)
• physical or mental health condition
• financial details
• household occupancy details and their personal details (where a person makes a claim for housing benefit, we need information about other people who live in the same household to work out how much the person will be paid)

We may ask you further details where required and appropriate:

• religious or other similar beliefs
• language
• gender
• nationality
• immigration status
• sexual orientation
• marital status
• ethnicity
• next of kin/appointee details

We use your personal information to:

• process housing benefit and council tax support claims
• accurately work out your council tax bills and manage your council tax accounts

• process applications for emergency support or housing fund

• provide support with claiming government benefits including help with appeals
• provide general support and advice on council and/or partner products and services
• identify benefits or other entitlements and engage with you to help you claim these
• manage financial affairs on behalf of vulnerable individuals
• calculate individual financial contributions for specific services such as paying for your care at home, residential or nursing care placement
• provide telecare services that help vulnerable residents to stay safe at home
• provide parking permits
• audit and debt collection
• fraud prevention
• respond to and resolve your complaints

Personal information means any information that may be used to identify you, such as, your name, title, phone number, date of birth, email address etc. We will use your personal information to provide services to you have requested from us and to ensure that we meet all of our legal and statutory duties in accordance with the following regulations:

• Social Security Administration Act 1992
• Local Government Finance Act 1992, 1998
• The Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999
• The Localism Act 2011, 2012
• Care Act 2014 - The Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources)
• When undertaking the legitimate interests of the Council in relation to our core functions

We may also use your data to:

• check and, if needed, update your details on our systems
• contact you to take part in independent research or surveys and ask your opinion about our services to ensure we understand how we can deliver a better service to our service users
• identify you for signposting you to services that are likely to benefit you
• consult with you on introduction of new schemes or changes to schemes such as the council tax support scheme
• provide statistical analysis
• provide important information to you about Council-led initiatives, such as our Islington Together partnership
• try and improve your employment opportunities

Call recording

Any personal information recorded during telephone conversations is stored on the system for a period of one year after which it is securely deleted.

Agencies we might share the information with include:

• commissioned partners/contractors/charities who undertake our work on our behalf such as our printers
• landlords – limited information provided as set out in Social Security Legislation Data Protection regulations unless explicit consent is given by the individual to share personal information with the landlord
• District/Borough Councils
• police for the purposes of fraud and crime prevention
• Department for Works & Pension
• appointees/guardians
• Government departments including Her Majesty’s Revenues and Custom
• credit reference agencies and other companies for use in obtaining household occupancy details to accurately administer council tax liabilities and for fraud prevention and to pursue debtors

We may also share information from the council tax database with other council services to improve the quality and efficient delivery of our services. This would only occur where it is in your interests to do so and on a strictly controlled and regulated basis.

Test and Trace Support Payment applications

To validate the bank account details provided on Test and Trace Support payment applications, we need to share relevant information you've given us with TransUnion. This will be used to ensure your support payment is paid to the correct bank account and to help prevent fraudulent use of support payments. This is not a credit check and won't impact your credit rating.
To validate your NHS account ID, confirm you have engaged through the NHS Test and Trace journey, confirm if you have been fully vaccinated, we will need to share relevant information you’ve given us with the NHS Test and Trace Eligibility Checker/NHS Test and Trace helpline.
For more information on how TransUnion may use your data.

Retention

Unless specified in the legislation cited above or stated in the council’s Retention Schedule, data will be deleted in line with the Limitation Act 1980 (Section 2).

Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with the service you have been provided and have exhausted the council’s corporate complaints process, you can refer any complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman. Details of how to complain.