HMRC sent someone else's details to me

KateLiana27

Not sure if this is the right board for it, but...

Along with a response to a letter I sent them, HMRC accidentally included a response to another man's complaint. It contains his NI number, home address, details of his pensions, place of employment and income... you get the picture.

I'm shocked at how they could be so careless with such sensitive information. Someone could steal the poor man's identity with that letter.

Having dealt with HMRC a number of times over recent weeks, I don't just want to return the letter to them, as I suspect they will just cover it up and pretend nothing has happened.

Shall I forward it to the correct recipient with a cover letter explaining what's happened? And is there someone I can complain to about this?

rogerblack

I question you can complain meaningfully to anyone - as you've not been harmed.
I would return it to the original person, with a covering letter, and write to BBC's moneybox, and perhaps a few other programs, with copies, with any identifying material removed.

missapril75

Sounds like the sort of mistake that anyone can make to me. I'm not sure there's anything to cover up.

Adereterial

Call HMRC tomorrow and advise them. They will take it seriously.

You will be asked to return the letter you have received, as they must recover it - firstly as you are not supposed to have the information and secondly, to investigate who sent it out and to take action accordingly. You MUST return the letter. They'll send you an envelope to return it in, and if you incur any postage costs they will reimburse those.

This sort of incident is taken very seriously by government departments, and incurs significant penalties for the staff concerned.

You have no grounds for complaint yourself, as you've not suffered any loss. However, you should receive an apology for any inconvenience you experience in returning the letter.

mynameistallulah

Adereterial wrote: »

Call HMRC tomorrow and advise them. They will take it seriously.

You will be asked to return the letter you have received, as they must recover it - firstly as you are not supposed to have the information and secondly, to investigate who sent it out and to take action accordingly. You MUST return the letter. They'll send you an envelope to return it in, and if you incur any postage costs they will reimburse those.

This sort of incident is taken very seriously by government departments, and incurs significant penalties for the staff concerned.

You have no grounds for complaint yourself, as you've not suffered any loss. However, you should receive an apology for any inconvenience you experience in returning the letter.

Even if the staff concerned is a machine? That is what is likely to have happened here - sometimes the machine picks up two sheets. Unfortunate, but near impossible to prevent.

KateLiana27

Adereterial wrote: »

Call HMRC tomorrow and advise them. They will take it seriously.

You will be asked to return the letter you have received, as they must recover it - firstly as you are not supposed to have the information and secondly, to investigate who sent it out and to take action accordingly. You MUST return the letter. They'll send you an envelope to return it in, and if you incur any postage costs they will reimburse those.

This sort of incident is taken very seriously by government departments, and incurs significant penalties for the staff concerned.

You have no grounds for complaint yourself, as you've not suffered any loss. However, you should receive an apology for any inconvenience you experience in returning the letter.

Thanks Adereterial - that helps. I'll call them tomorrow. It's good to know what the procedure is as I was planning to just send it on to the right person.

Complaint wasn't for my inconvenience - I meant it on behalf of the man whose details I received, as I'm not sure HMRC will actually tell him a breach of confidentiality has taken place (would they? I hope so). I just wonder how often this happens? If the person entitled to make a complaint isn't informed, I guess we wouldn't know.

I've no doubt at all it was an administrative mistake and not deliberate. But the information the letter contained was highly sensitive. I work in the NHS and blaming serious confidentiality breaches on machines and accidents just doesn't cut it.

Basically I just want to make sure they take it seriously and try to stop it happening again (possibly with my or your details next time!)

missapril75

mynameistallulah wrote: »

Even if the staff concerned is a machine? That is what is likely to have happened here - sometimes the machine picks up two sheets. Unfortunate, but near impossible to prevent.

In this particular case it sounds like an individual reply as opposed a mailing shot where the machines do everything.

Somebody probably left a sheet in, or took too many sheets from, a shared printer. They should check more carefully but we all know why things are missed.

A bit like when an envelope accidentally gets put in the wrong letter box.

I doubt there's anything systematic going on here; or something akin to throwing confidential docs in a skip; leaving confidential documents on the seat of your car...that sort of thing.

Adereterial

mynameistallulah wrote: »

Even if the staff concerned is a machine? That is what is likely to have happened here - sometimes the machine picks up two sheets. Unfortunate, but near impossible to prevent.

Some letters may be electronically and automatically generated, but they're all put into envelopes and sent out by humans after that happens.

If HMRC are, in fact, using electronic envelope stuffers they still need to investigate the cause of the error and take steps to prevent it happening in the future. More likely is that a person has put the letter in by mistake - and they will face some form of disciplinary penalty as data protection is taken very seriously.