Council Tax Exemption backpayment and ESA

Mersey_2

gray1404 wrote: »

I am still really confused regarding this "data matching". What is it and when does it take place?

It's nothing to be unduly worried about.


Govt bodies and some large organisations such as insurers and banks can share data in order to detect and prevent fraud (from memory s29 of the Data Protection Act is the exception allowing the sharing of confidential personal data about individuals in such circumstances)


However, in recent years - and to enable 'joined-up Govt' - the DWP, HMRC, Councils have begun routinely sharing more in order to match claims and spot errors, from looking at Electoral Rolls, passport data, births and deaths and so on. Data washing is sometimes used as the jargon by HMRC in their evidence to MPs.

CIS

You are correct regarding it being s29 of the DPA which covers anti-fraud measures etc for data.

The National Fraud Initiative goes on every couple of years for local authorities and similar bodies (public and private) to share data but in real terms data is constantly being matched between a lot of organisations to try and stamp out fraud - it's nothing to be worried about. You can pretty much guarantee any person who had claimed any sort of benefit or council tax reduction has already been data-matched at least once, assuming everything is OK you'd never even known it went on.

gray1404

What sort of data do they match though? It really does sound like "big brother" when you read it. I was under the impression that your bank data was totally private and things like passport data seems a bit too far. So there are private companies (airlines and banks) passing on data to the DWP "just in case." What I mean is that the bank might not even know someone is claiming.

epitome

I don't have it to hand, but if I were you I would look up the guidance that says it should be disregarded, just to familiarise yourself with the legislation and reasons for disregard... for example it may only be disregarded if it is official error....so you should ask the council to confirm it is official error arrears.

There is other guidance that states if the amount is £5,000 or more then it is not only disregarded for 1 year, but it is disregarded for the life of the current ESA claim.... but if the ESA claim closes then it could not be disregarded anymore.

You need to look up capital that is disregarded
and capital to be disregarded indefinately

And confirm that council tax arrears are included in this.

Energize

I've received tax rebates from hmrc before while on benefits and it didn't show up as income on the universal credit system.

Mersey_2

That's good to hear Energise, as redress is not profit and so should never be considered as income.