Data Sharing of Grown-Up Children in Universal Credit

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

My inquiry is about your data sharing related with Non Dependant (grown up child etc) under Universal Credit.

Non dependant is not a direct benefit claimer thus the level of personal information required should not be the same as the direct claimer, and Non dependant has no reasons for not being sensitive about his / her automatic personal information sharing once being included in the UC application.
With that said, the direct claimer should be responsible for Non-dependant's sensitivity about privacy, and all Non-dependant should have right to be aware of personal information that are automatically shared among public agencies before the direct claimer applies UC.
Based on the information & subsequent agreement between the Non-dependant and the direct claimer, they need to decide how to balance out the benefits they expect from the public fund and their family's privacy concern.

Given the rationale, I'm asking for the below 3 questions.

Firstly, could you list the Non-Dependant information you require in Universal Credit?

Secondary, I understand you start data sharing among you DWP, HMRC and Local Council in Universal Credit, then could you list the personal information of Non Dependant you do automatic data sharing under normal circumstances (not under special circumstances such as fraud investigation)?
What we presume are;
1) From HMRC: All the past Employer / Earning History / Tax & NIC history / HMRC related benefits history like Tax Credit
2) From DWP: All the past DWP related benefits history such as JSA, Income Support Allowance etc.
3) From Local Council: All the past Local Council related benefits like HB & Council Tax Support etc.
Please amend or add any other information list you share.

Lastly, could you list up the special circumstances cases that allow you to make more data sharing than the above normal circumstance?

I believe your answers to the above questions will facilitate prospective claimers to make their claim decision in well-informed circumstance.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

David Fraser

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DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

Dear David Fraser,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request.

You can expect a reply by 17 June, unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

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Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team,
Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'Data Sharing of Grown-Up Children in Universal Credit'.

FOI stated that "The response to your request has been delayed. You can say that, by law, the authority should normally have responded promptly and by 17 June 2015", today is 15 July 2015 so you have delayed by nearly 1 month, which proves DWP's poor commitment to FOI response.

You're public agency run by tax payer's money and we would like to see your sense of responsibility to answer to the public's question promptly.

Please answer to the question immediately & prove some of your professionalism.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/d...

Yours faithfully,

David Fraser

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
 
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct. 
 
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
 
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
 
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
 
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
 

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DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

Dear David Fraser,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information review request.

Please note that it is our internal target to answer reviews within 20 working days unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request, or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered which we will keep you informed about.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

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Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team,
Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745

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DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear David Fraser,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request. My apologies for the delay in replying to you. Please find enclosed our response.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team, Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745

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Dear DWP Strategy Freedom of Information,

Many thanks for your answers.
Allow me to ask you to clarify just 1 point.
You said;
"• DWP – We share all the information with the LA regarding existing and closed legacy benefits that is relevant to the LA for the claimant(s) only.
• LA – DWP and HMRC data is provided to LAs by DWP for the limited purposes of administering HB, and any specific service or provision of a prescribed welfare service or local council tax reduction scheme. Currently this is limited to:
Housing Benefit
Local Council Tax Reduction schemes (LCTR)
Local welfare provision (LWP). "
You firstly define the sharing info from DWP as claimant (s) only but when it comes to LA you don't mention anything about claimant(s) only restriction.
How can I read it? Can I understand "DWP and HMRC data is provided to LAs by DWP" also claimany(s) only? If it includes the non-dependant(s) information, then it sounds contradicting.

Please clarify.

Yours sincerely,

David Fraser

DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

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Dear David Fraser,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information review request. Please find enclosed our reply.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745

Thank you for your Freedom of Information review request.

Please note that it is our internal target to answer reviews within 20 working days unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request, or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered which we will keep you informed about.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team, Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745

show quoted sections

DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

Dear David Fraser,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information review request.

Please note that it is our internal target to answer reviews within 20 working days unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request, or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered which we will keep you informed about.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team,
Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745

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DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Please see the attached reply to your Freedom of Information request

Yours sincerely

DWP Strategy FoI team

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Florence Elizabeth Constance Daisley left an annotation ()

I cannot detect that DWP has clarified why information would be collected for any non dependent who does not live in the household of the claimant.

From the DWP response, it appears that intrusive questions about non dependants, are asked before the question about whether the non dependent lives in the household. Surely this should be the other way round: if the non dependent does not live in the household then no further information, about them, is necessary.