Who is the Data Controller for the information I provide?
Wirral Council is the Data Controller for the personal information you provide.
Our address is;
Wirral Council
PO Box 290
Brighton Street
Wallasey
Wirral
CH27 9FQ
Issues of how data is handled are dealt with by the Council's Data Protection Officer Jane Corrin who can be contacted by email at DPO@wirral.gov.uk
Why do you need my information?
We collect and hold information about you in order to access extra financial assistance through Discretionary Housing Payments. In some cases we will seek clarification of benefit awards with the Department for Work and Pensions.
What legal basis allows you to use my information?
The legal basis that allow us to use your information is the Public Task. The processing is necessary for us to perform a public task in the public interest as detailed in the Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001.
Do I have to provide this information and what will happen if I don’t?
The information is needed to assess any entitlement to Discretionary Housing Payments. If you do not supply the information we will be unable to assess your application.
Who will my information be shared with?
The information held will only be shared with Department of Work and Pensions and Wirral Council Housing Options Team, both for statistical purposes only.
How long will you keep this information for and why?
Personal information will be retained for 6 years based on best practice.
How will my information be stored?
Information will be held within the Capita Case Manager System and Civica document management system.
How we protect your data
We will take appropriate steps to make sure we hold records about you (on paper and electronically) in a secure way, and we will only make them available to those who have a right to see them. The Council takes security measures such as, but not limited to:
Logical Security Control
- encryption
- anonymisation
- partitioning
- paper document security
Physical Security Control
- managing workstations
- website security
- backups
- network security
- physical access control
- monitoring network activity
- hardware security
Organisational Control
- monitoring committee
- policies
- managing Privacy risks
- integrating privacy protection in projects (PIA)
Will this information be used to take automated decisions about me?
No
Will my data be transferred abroad and why?
No
What rights do I have when it comes to my data?
Right to be informed – through this Privacy Notice.
Right to rectification – you have the right to have personal data rectified if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
Right to restrict processing – you have the right to block or suppress processing of your data, however this right does not apply in some circumstances.
Right to object to processing (to certain types of processing only)
Right of Access - you have the right under the Data Protection Act 1998 (General Data Protection Regulation 2018) to request a copy of your information and to know what it is used for and how it has been shared. This is called the right of subject access. To request a copy of your data or ask questions about how it is used please email informationmanager@wirral.gov.uk
Who can I complain to if I am unhappy about how my data is used?
Informal resolution
In the first instance we would ask that you try and resolve data handling issues directly with the relevant department before applying for a formal resolution.
Formal resolution
If you are dissatisfied with the informal resolution of your complaint you can request a review by the Data Protection Officer, Jane Corrin, by email DPO@wirral.gov.uk
If you remain dissatisfied following an internal complaint, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Changes to our Privacy Notice
We regularly review our privacy notice and suggest you check for any changes from time to time. This notice was reviewed January 2023.