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Our core data protection obligations and commitments are set out in the council's privacy notice.

This notice provides additional privacy information for services provided by and statutory duties undertaken by the Customer Support and Collection department.

How do we use your data

We collect your personal information for the following purpose(s):

  • to register you for Council Tax, and to award any discounts or exemptions you may be entitled to
  • to register you, or your business, for business rates and to award any exemptions or reliefs you may be entitled to
  • to collect Council Tax and/or business rates arrears
  • to collect sundry council invoices and Housing Benefit overpayments
  • to process claims Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Council Tax Support and free school meals
  • to process claims for discretionary benefits, such as Discretionary Housing Payments and Bury Support Fund payments
  • to investigate alleged fraud, take part in fraud prevention data matching exercises where the law allows, and to ensure the information we hold is accurate
  • to award discounts for other Council services, if eligibility to Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support or free school meals is a qualifying factor. We will ask for your permission to do this.

Categories of personal data

In order to carry out these purposes we collect and obtain the following types of information.

For all the services we provide:

  • your name (or name of your business) and your address
  • dates you moved to your current address, and details of previous addresses
  • name and address of your landlord
  • your bank details, if you choose to pay money to us by Direct Debit
  • your phone and/or email contact details to enable us to contact you about your Council Tax and/or business rates account, or your claim for a benefit.

In addition to the above, for registering you for Council Tax:

  • name(s) of other adults resident in the property.

In addition to the above, for the recovery of Council Tax and business rates debts:

  • details of the income and employers details of people liable for Council Tax and business rates - only if you have provided this information directly to us.

In addition to the above, for the processing of claims for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and free school meals:

  • your National Insurance number and date of birth
  • names and date of birth of anyone else living with you
  • details of your household's income and capital, including state benefits, earned income and employer details
  • details of rent you are charged - for claims for Housing Benefit.

In addition to the above, for the award of discretionary benefits, and collection of Council Tax and/or business rates arrears:

  • details of your household's expenditure.

Legal basis for processing

This information is required under the following legislation:

  • The Local Government Finance Act
  • Security Administration Act
  • The Social Security Regulations (information-sharing in relation to welfare services)
  • The Welfare Reform Act
  • The Housing Benefit Legislation
  • The Council Tax Reduction Schemes Regulations
  • The Care Act.

We also collect and processes information under Article 6 of the UK General Data Protection Regulations enabling us to maintain an accurate register of Council Tax and business rates payers for the purposes of collecting Council Tax and business rates.

Marketing purposes: where we have asked and you have consented to receive electronic marketing information about our services (you may withdraw your consent at any time).

Consequences if information is not provided

If you fail to provide certain information when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract we have entered into with you (for example paying you a welfare benefit), or we may be prevented from complying with our legal obligations (for example registering you for Council Tax or business rates).

Information sharing

We have a duty to protect the public funds we administer, to prevent fraud and to ensure the information we hold is accurate. To carry out this duty we may share the information we hold about you, where the law allows it, with other sections of the Council, other local authorities, the government and other agencies.

Where we do not directly provide a service, we may need to pass your personal data onto the organisations that do. For example we may ask an Enforcement Agent to collect Council Tax or business rates arrears. These providers are under contract and have to keep your details safe and secure, and use them only to provide that service.

Where we get our information

As well as information collected directly from you, we also obtain or receive information from:

  • Department for Work and Pensions - we will only use this information for the processing of claims for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and free school meals
  • HM Revenues and Customs
  • other local councils
  • landlords or letting agents
  • members of the public when they report something has changed - for example they have moved address and you have moved into their old property
  • anonymous fraud referrals from members of the public.

Automated decisions

Most of the decisions we make about you involve human intervention.

We may make automated decisions about you in respect for Council Tax and business rates registration and awarding of welfare benefits, discounts, exemptions or reliefs.

This could include information that you provide or which we receive from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Data retention

We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, and in accordance with relevant legislation.

Rights of individuals

Information about the following is accessible in our guide to exercising your rights:

  • exercising your rights
  • contacting our Data Protection Officer
  • raising a concern with us, or
  • making a complaint to the Information Commissioner.

Updates

We may update or revise this Privacy Notice at any time.