Privacy Notices - Application for severe mental impairment discount or exemption Privacy Notice

You need to be aware of this Privacy Notice if you are making an application for a Council Tax Discount or Exemption on the grounds of Severe Mental Impairment 

A Privacy Notice is a statement issued by an organisation which explains how personal and confidential data about individuals is collected, used and shared.

Swindon Borough Council will act as a “Data Controller” for any personal data that you provide to us.  We will ensure that the data given to us is processed in line with our Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 18) and the EU General Data Protection Regulations. (GDPR)

To find out more about Swindon Borough Council’s data protection policies please contact our Data Protection Officer. dataprotection@swindon.gov.uk or in writing to Data Protection Officer, Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 2JH.

Please note that not providing your personal data may lead to your application for a discount or exemption being refused.

Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data. Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in the data controller’s possession or likely to come into such possession. The processing of data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (the “GDPR”).

The type of data we will need to collect in order to process your application for a Council Tax Discount or Exemption on the grounds of Severe mental impairment typically include following:

• Your Council Tax reference number
• Your personal details, including name and address
• The number of adults currently resident at your address
• The full name(s) of any other persons resident at your address
• Your doctor’s name and the address of the surgery or hospital
• The full name and address of any person assisting you to complete the application and their relationship to you
• Completion by your doctor of a certificate of Severe Mental Impairment

To qualify for a discount or  exemption a person who is severally mentally impaired must be entitled to one of the qualifying benefits, as listed on the application form and we will  require documentary evidence to confirm your entitlement.       

Swindon Borough Council complies with its obligations under the GDPR by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.

We will need to use some information about you:

• To confirm your entitlement to a Council Tax discount or exemption on the grounds of Severe Mental Impairment
• To deliver any other services and support to you
• To manage those services we provide to you
• To train and manage the employment of our workers who deliver those services
• To help investigate any worries or complaints you have about your services
• For the prevention and detection of fraud and other crimes
• For the provision of statistical analysis of services

It is necessary to allow us to perform our statutory duties and to comply with our obligations under The Local Government Finance Act 1992 and The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992

For the purposes of processing your application your information will be shared within the Revenues and Benefits Department (which is partly provided by Capita LGS limited). Information may also be shared with the Department for Works and Pensions for benefits purposes and other departments within the Council in order to provide efficient services.

We take the security of your personal information seriously and try to ensure that the necessary controls are in place to ensure that your personal data (either on paper or electronically) is held in a secure manner and is only accessed by those who have a right to see it.

Your personal information will be retained for period of 6 financial years, plus the current financial year, unless there are any outstanding matters after this date.

Under the Data Protection Act you can request the following:

• You can ask for access to the information we hold on you
• You can ask to change information you think is inaccurate
• You can ask to delete information in some circumstances
• You can ask us to limit what we use your personal data for

Should you wish to exercise any of the above, you should contact the Data Protection Officer.

In the event that you wish to complain about the way that your personal data has been handled by Swindon Borough Council, you should write to the Data Protection Officer and clearly outline your case. Your complaint will then be investigated in accordance with our customer complaint procedure.

If you remain dissatisfied with the way your personal data has been handled, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ICO.org.uk.

You may refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office whose contact details are below:                

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Email: casework@ico.org.uk
 

If you do not provide the data requested in the application form, we may not be able to process your application and you will not be granted a Council Tax discount or exemption.

A yearly audit will take place on personal data to ensure that we remain legally compliant in accordance with current data protection legislation.

You are viewing the Privacy Notice for applications for Severe Mental Impairment Discount or Exemption.

Read the main Privacy Notice