How we use your information

Your privacy is very important to Boston Borough Council.  We are the Data Controller responsible for looking after the information you provide. Further information regarding Data Protection including who to contact and our retention periods can be found on our website.

Your data will be processed by Public Sector Partnership Services Ltd (PSPS), formerly known as Compass Point Business Services, a company owned by East Lindsey, South Holland District Councils & Boston Borough Council.

We also use other approved companies to help us deliver our services, including Capita Software Services Ltd, Liberata Ltd, Destin Solutions Ltd, Northgate Public Services (UK) Ltd, Datatank Ltd, Critiqom Ltd and Goss Interactive Ltd.

How we will use your information

The council uses your personal information in order to administer and enforce council tax under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and its associated regulations.

The council uses your personal information in order to administer its council tax support scheme under S13A and Schedule 1a of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and its associated Regulations.

The council uses your personal information in order to administer the Housing Benefit scheme under the Social Security Administration Act (SSAA) 1992 and Welfare Reform Act (WRA) 2012.

The council has a duty to protect public funds it administers and may use information held about you for all lawful purposes, including but not limited to the

• prevention and detection of fraud,

• matching council tax data with electoral registration records and

• protecting public funds in investigating misuse of public money

This council is required by law to participate in the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) data matching exercises. Housing benefit, council tax and council tax support information may be provided to the Cabinet Office for NFI purposes and will be used for cross-system and cross-authority comparison for the prevention and detection of fraud.

We may pass the information to other agencies or organisations such as the Department of Work and Pensions and HM Revenues and Customs as allowed by law. We may check information you have provided or information about you that someone else has provided with other information we hold. We may also get information about you from certain third parties or give them information to ensure the information is accurate and to prevent/detect crime and protect public funds.

The council may also use the service of approved companies/organisations to check and process claims and applications.

The council will share information with pension providers, landlords and any other organisation where it is in the interest of the customer.

Organisations, companies and third parties we work with are

• Citizens Advice
• Department of Work and Pensions
• HM Revenues and Customs
• Lincolnshire County Council
• Lincolnshire Housing Partnership

This council will also use the information for the purpose of performing any of its statutory enforcement duties. The council may also share this information with other bodies responsible for detecting and preventing fraud or auditing and administering public funds where required to by law.

We will not disclose your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes and we will not use your personal data in a way which may cause you harm.

If you have any concerns regarding the use of your information you can contact the Councils Data Protection Officer on 01205 314368, if you are not then satisfied then you have a right to contact the Information Commissioner's Office.