Household Support Fund: Data Privacy Notice

The identity and contact details of the company

Reading Borough Council

Contact details of the Data Protection Officer

Nayana George IGTeam@reading.gov.uk

What personal data is held?

• Name
• Household information
• Address
• Contact details.
• Date of birth
• Income details
• Details of benefits
• Other financial information such as debts and rent information.
• Bank account details
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• National Insurance number
• Offending and other information relating to the criminal justice system.

Reading Council will use the data to identify residents for the purpose of administering the Household Support Fund, (a grant given to all Local Authorities to support households in the most need with the cost of living.

Reading Council will use personal data to identify the following priority groups: –

• Carers
• Care leavers
• People with disabilities
• Families with children receiving pupil premium/free school meals
• People living alone 
• Residents with unsecure employment 
• Large households 
• People with energy inefficient homes 
• Households with prepayment energy meters 
• Residents in private rented accommodation 
• Victims of crime 
• Veterans
• Residents with English as a second language 
• Residents with ethnically diverse heritage 

How will the data be stored?

The data is stored electronically on Reading Borough Council encrypted laptops and on secure council servers.

What is the legal basis for the collection, use and storage of the data?

We rely on the following as the lawful bases on which we collect and use your personal data:

Reading Borough Council will share personal information about an individual with other services when it is appropriate to do so. Most agencies involved in providing services are required by law to cooperate to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable adults. Any information supplied about residents (and receiving services from neighbouring Local Authorities), will be shared on a ‘need to know’ basis among services involved. The purpose of sharing information is to ensure that payments are targeted at households in the most need:

1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024: Household Support Fund guidance for county councils and unitary authorities in England – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Under The General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) the lawful basis for processing this data is set out in Article 6(1)(e). This gives Reading Borough Council a lawful basis for processing 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”.

Give details of how long the data will be stored and criteria used to determine this?

For the purposes of administering the Household Support Fund, this data will be held for twelve months.

Who will it be shared with and for what purpose?

The data is accessed by Council staff in Benefits, Customer Service, policy, and Finance Teams.

It will be shared with the Post Office for the purpose of sending out payment vouchers.

How can the service user get access to it?

The data subject can have access to their data by making a “subject access request”. This is done by completing a form and providing relevant identification. Any data referring to the subject will be collated and made available to the subject within 1 month. A request can be made verbally or in writing, electronically or otherwise.

Individuals can request that the data be provided in different formats.

Subject access request form

State whether any data is to be transferred outside the UK

Reading Borough Council will use personal data for the purpose of administering the Household Support Fund in the United Kingdom.

What other rights does the service user have that we have to make known to them?

The right to have their data corrected, the right to have their data deleted in certain circumstances and their right to put a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

There will be no automated decision making and no data is to be transferred outside the UK. More information about Reading Borough Council’s responsibility under GDPR can be found on our Data Protection page.

State if there will be any automated decision making

No decision will be made using an automated system without human involvement.