How we collect and use the information we hold
The Department for Work and Pensions collects information for the purposes of dealing with social security, child support, vaccine-damage issues, employment and training, private pensions policy, retirement planning and the Financial Assistance Scheme. The information we collect about you depends on the reason for your business with us, but we may use the information for any of these purposes.
We may check information about you with other information we have. We may get information about you from other people and certain other organisations, as the law allows, to:
- check the accuracy of information
- prevent or detect crime
- protect public funds in other ways, and
- use in research and statistics
These other organisations include other government departments, local authorities, and private-sector bodies such as banks and organisations that may lend you money. We will not give information about you to anyone outside our department unless the law allows us to.
The Department for Work and Pensions is the data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act.
If you want to know more about what information we have about you, or the way we use your information, please contact the Financial Assistance Scheme Operational Unit