Fair processing notices - Council tax

How we use your data

Who we are

At Stoke-on-Trent City Council we take your privacy seriously and we will only keep and use your personal data for reasons that the law requires us to or allows us to.  We are a data controller for the personal data that we hold about you in relation to council tax.  In order to comply with data protection legislation, we must be sure that you understand how we use this personal information.

Personal data that we collect

The council will collect, where necessary, some or all of the following personal data:

  • Full name of the liable person(s);
  • Home address, previous address, and move-in/move-out dates;
  • Mailing or forwarding address if different from the property address.;
  • Contact details: telephone number and email address;
  • Household information including number of adults, students, or dependents;
  • Bank details (if paying by direct debit), benefits information or income data (for discounts or exemptions);
  • Property details: ownership status, tenancy agreements, and whether the property is vacant or occupied; or
  • Other personal data relating to issues arising in connection with the liable person’s council tax.

How we use your personal data

To comply with data protection legislation, we are telling you how we use the personal data we hold about you.  

The personal data will be used:

  • for the administration of council tax in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992. This includes establishing your liability, billing and recovery of the amount owing;
  • to allow for the calculation of any discounts or exemptions, including council tax support in accordance with the Welfare Reform Act 2012; and
  • for the pursuance of empty homes across the city in accordance with Local Government Finance Act 1992.

Some of this personal data will, where required, also be used:

  • for the purpose of consumer protection under the Consumer Rights Act 2015;
  • to assist with the collection of other monies owing to the city council such as rent, non-domestic rates or other sundry debts;
  • to safeguard adults, and children under the Children’s Act 1989;
  • to ensure the electoral register is accurately maintained in accordance with Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act;
  • for the prevention and detection of fraud under Digital Economy Act 2017 (Part 5);
  • to detect and prevent issues relating to environmental health offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990;
  • For the detection and prevention of other crimes.

Who we may share your personal data with

We will also share some of your information with other agencies, where required, including;

  • the Department for Work and Pensions, under the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992
  • other local authorities in the public interest
  • Valuation Office Agency (VOA)
  • Police
  • Valuation Tribunal Service
  • your employer under the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992
  • third party enforcement agents acting on behalf of the city council.
  • third party companies acting on behalf of the city council for debt collection.
  • The Office of National Statistics (under Section 45A of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007)

where it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority. We may share data with our internal audit team to evaluate the effectiveness of the organisation’s risk management, control and governance processes.  We may also share your data with the council's fraud team to help to prevent and detect fraud.

The basis for processing the personal data and retention

We will process personal data where the law allows us to do so. This may either be because it is necessary for us to perform a task that is carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in us.  

Data held for the administration of council tax is held for a minimum of six years following the closure of your account, and where there is no balance owing.

Your Rights

Data protection legislation provides you with certain rights, however not all of these rights will be available to you in all situations. Your rights are:

  • you can ask to see the personal data that we hold about you;
  • you can ask what is being done with the personal data that we hold about you;
  • you can ask to have some personal data that we hold about you deleted;
  • you can ask us to review a decision made about you by a computer, and ask for a new decision to be made without a computer;
  • you can ask us to stop processing personal data that we hold about you, but only in limited circumstances, such as processing for research, historical or direct marketing reasons.
  • you can ask us to make changes to inaccurate personal information;
  • you can ask us to move your personal data somewhere else;
  • you can ask us to restrict or limit what we do with your personal data for example if you believe that personal data we hold is inaccurate, or you believe the processing in unlawful. 

Where we are under a legal duty to use personal data for a particular purpose and you will not have the right to prevent it being used in that way.

 

Who to contact if you have questions

Write to the information rights team at foi@stoke.gov.uk or Information Rights Team, Floor 2, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH 
 
If you wish to complain about how your personal information has been handled by the city council contact the information rights team in the first instance, on the details provided above.

If you remain dissatisfied then the Information Commissioner’s Office can be contacted.

Information Commissioner's Office website

You have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at any time.