Local Welfare Assistance Scheme Privacy Notice
The processing of personal data is governed by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018), collectively referred to as data protection law.
This privacy notice explains how the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme (LWAS) uses information about you when you make an application, and how we protect your privacy.
Suffolk County Council is the controller for the personal information that is being processed.
Contact details for the council’s Data Protection Officer and Compliance Manager can be found in the council’s corporate privacy notice, which is available on the council’s website.
What we collect
The categories of information that we collect, process, hold and share include:
- Personal information - such as your name, address, date of birth and where you live
- Health information – such as those who have disabilities and special educational needs within your household
- Financial details – such as your household income and savings
- Benefits and employment details – such as your national insurance number and any benefits you receive
- Household make-up – how many adults and children live in your household
- All data collected is processed and shared by relevant local authorities, Department for Works and Pensions and any organisation which has been formally tasked with providing services- such as distributing grants, advice or other support in administration of the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme.
Why we collect and use this information
We collect this information to:
- Make an assessment of eligibility for financial support
- Make payments to successful applicants
- Monitor usage of the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme to improve the service
- Share information with other Suffolk local authorities to assess your eligibility for other financial support
Collecting this information
We collect and use your personal information to provide an effective Local Welfare Assistance Scheme and to meet our duties in administering services and funds from central government allocations.
SCC has robust processes in place to ensure the confidentiality of our data is maintained and there are stringent controls in place regarding access and use of the data. In some cases the law may require that personal information has to be shared with other agencies without prior agreement, this will be to protect people who may be at risk of harm. In the event that information must be shared the following principles will be used:
Any personal information should be shared on the basis that it is:
- necessary for the purpose for which it is being shared
- shared only with those who have a need for it
- accurate and up to date
- shared securely and in a timely fashion
- not kept for longer than necessary for the original purpose.
How we store this information
We keep personal data for as long as we need it to fulfil the purpose that it was collected for, and in line with any statutory or locally determined retention periods.
At the end of its retention period all personal data will be securely destroyed.
We do not transfer any personal data to any countries or international organisations outside of the EU or the EEA (European Economic Area), or any other country that does not have an equivalent level of data protection to the UK.
The lawful basis on which we use this information
Personal data
For processing personal data, we rely on the following lawful basis:
- UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) – where processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
Special Category Data
- UK GDPR Article 9(2)(g) – where processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, specifically:
- for statutory and government purposes (Schedule 1, Part 2, section 6, DPA 2018)
Who we share this information with
We use some of your information to check your eligibility using the Department for Work and Pensions central government systems. We also use your information to check against data held within Suffolk County Council to qualify your applications.
We may share your information with district and borough councils in Suffolk to check your eligibility for the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme and other future schemes that may be available from district and borough councils.
Why we share this information
We share this information to ensure:
- We comply with public task and our legal obligations
- Allow district and borough councils to make a thorough assessment of eligibility for any cost of living support they administer
Your rights under data protection law
Under data protection law, you have the right to request access to the information.
that we hold about you. If you would like to make a request to access your personal information, please contact data.protection@suffolk.gov.uk
You also have other rights regarding your personal data. You can find out more information about these rights by looking at the council’s corporate privacy notice.
Requesting access to your personal data
Under data protection legislation, individuals have the right to request access to information about them that we hold. To make a request for your personal information contact data.protection@suffolk.gov.uk
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, and
- 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.
Further information
You can read SCC’s corporate privacy notice.
Contact details for the council’s Data Protection Officer and Compliance Manager can be found in the council’s corporate privacy notice, which is available on the council’s website.
