What legal grounds does DWP have?

Ms. S made this Freedom of Information request to Department for Work and Pensions This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was refused by Department for Work and Pensions.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

What legal grounds does DWP have to deduct money from people's benefits, when DWP has destroyed a person's information in accordance to your own policy - The benefits Document and Data Retention Guide?

For example, If someone was once receiving career's allowance and then DWP said's you owe us money yet they have destroyed all your all records apart from a call log with DWP's Debt management Department, then that person is now receiving another benefit and DWP informs that department that this person owe's money, i.e Job seekers allowance (JAS) yet that person informs 'JAS' they can't prove it, is it legal for that 'JAS' to deduct money from one's benefit, even if DWP doesn't have any evidence of this apart from a call log with debt management?

It can’t be a case of DWP said so, then it must be so! There must be a procedure in order to do this, what is the procedure?

Yours faithfully,

Miss S

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...
 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

CD Official Correspondence, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear Ms S,
 
Please see the attached letter.
 
 
Official Correspondence Team
People, Communication and Capability | Please consider the environment
before printing.
 
 
 
 

show quoted sections

CD Official Correspondence, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear Miss S,
 
Please see the attached letter.
 
        Official Correspondence Team
        People, Communication and Capability | Please consider the
environment before printing.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

show quoted sections