Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) privacy notice

Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) Alternative Funding (Great Britain) Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund (AFP AF) privacy notice.

This notice is provided to meet the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) to provide transparency on how we process personal data for the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) Alternative Funding and Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund, launched by central government on 27 February 2023 and 6 March 2023 respectively.

Both schemes to close to new applications on 31 May 2023. This privacy notice will be subject to ongoing review to ensure it continues to align with the requirements of both schemes and all applicable legislation.

The reasons we use your data

To provide these rebates, we will process the documents you uploaded to the BEIS portal to verify your eligibility and check the information you supplied to BEIS against Council Tax and other records made available to us for the purposes of verifying your application(s). We may need to collect further information to support your application where insufficient information is available to validate your claim. If you do not provide the information that is requested, we may not be able to process your request(s), and we may not be able to provide you with your rebate(s).We will undertake financial checks on payments for the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences including fraud.

Why we are allowed to use your data

Leeds City Council has been asked by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to administer the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) Alternative Funding and Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund (AFP AF) Scheme to ensure support to eligible households that will not receive grant payments through EBSS automatically.Both Leeds City Council and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) are acting as independent data controllers for your data. This privacy notice does not cover BEIS and how they use your data. You should read their privacy notice to understand how they will use your data. See the EBSS alternative funding privacy notices and the Domestic AFP alternative fund privacy notive.

Qualifying individuals who did not receive a rebate through the main EBSS scheme automatically, will be able to apply to receive £400 as a contribution towards their fuel costs and also apply for a further £200 contribution if they use alternative fuels. We have a data sharing agreement with BEIS, we will share with them the information we have collected and processed including evidence of any assurance checks we have undertaken to confirm your entitlement to these rebates. We will share your personal data with BEIS during the processing of your application.The sharing of the data between Leeds City Council and BEIS is for the purpose of administration, verification, delivery, making payment, reporting, monitoring, evaluation and fraud prevention necessary within the schemes. This may also include an assessment of your liability for council tax on the property you have stated as your sole and main residence on the application.

Who we can share your data with

The sharing of the data between Leeds City Council and BEIS is for the purpose of administration, verification, delivery, monitoring, evaluation and fraud prevention necessary within the schemes. We might also include an assessment of your liability for council tax on the property you have stated as your sole and main residence on your application(s).We will share your information with BEIS to allow them to evaluate the schemes to understand their impact and to inform future government policy. We may share your data with other government bodies if we are required to do so by law - for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime.Where there has been a need to request missing information to complete the processing requirements on your application(s), we will share your information with BEIS including copies of any correspondence in relation to your case(s) as well as notes from any phone calls with you. In order to validate your application we may ask you to provide one or more of the following documents:

• a valid UK driving licence (provisional or full driving licence)
  
• a utility bill dated no earlier than 3-months before the application date
  
• a benefits entitlement letter from within the last 6 months
  
• a current tenancy agreement
• bank statement
• an invoice that shows the name and address of the care home and provides evidence of who is responsible for paying some or all of your fees no earlier than 3-months before the application date
• a temporary housing provider letter
• invoices for alternative fuel purchases
  

When computers make any decisions about you

By the time your personal data has reached the Council it may have already undergone some initial eligibility checks undertaken by BEIS which involve a process of automated decision making. These initial checks are undertaken for the purpose of prevention and detection of fraud for example, or to determine whether a payment has already been made under the main EBSS scheme or whether another application is in progress. Bank account verification assurance checks will also take place to ensure payments are made to the correct bank account.Should your application(s) be turned down, we will inform you of the reason(s) your application(s) has been rejected. You will also be informed of how you can ask for a review of the decision which will not be based entirely on automated processing.

When your data gets sent to other countries

The information you provide will not be transferred to another country outside of the EU.

Lawful basis for processing personal data under UK GDPR

We will use your information to carry out tasks that are in the public interest (UK GDPR, Article 6(1)(e)) or in the exercise of official authority vested in the data controller, such as the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, or a government department; the exercise of a function conferred on a person by an enactment; the exercise of a function of either House of Parliament; or the administration of justice. In this case, to ensure support to eligible households that will not receive grant payments through EBSS automatically.

Special category data

Special category data will not be expressly requested in connection with applications for the scheme(s), but it is possible that co-incidental collection and sharing of special category data could occur as a result of information provided by applicants (or third party individuals acting on your behalf) in connection with the applications, including, but not limited to, information relating to the ethnic origin of applicants or data concerning applicant's physical health or age.

Data retention, storage and destruction

The Council will retain your data for as long as it is required to fulfil the purpose it was collected or for as long as is required by legislation. Your application and supporting documentation will be securely deleted no later than 7 years after collection in line with the Schemes’ retention policy.We are strongly committed to data security and will take reasonable and appropriate steps to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or corruption.

Your rights

You have the right to request information about how your personal data are processed, and to request a copy of that personal data.

You have the right to request that any inaccuracies in your personal data are rectified without delay.

You have the right to request that any incomplete personal data are completed, including by means of a supplementary statement.

You have the right to request that your personal data are erased if there is no longer a justification for them to be processed.

You have the right in certain circumstances (for example, where accuracy is contested) to request that the processing of your personal data is restricted.

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where it is processed for direct marketing purposes.

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data including the right to object automated processing.

Find more information on how we process your personal information and how to make a subject access request.

Security of your personal data

Leeds City Council has in place physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard the information BEIS has supplied to us. However, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you send us. We recommend that you take every precaution to protect your personal information whether this is sent to us by post or email.

Data protection officer

The data controller for your personal data is Leeds City Council.

You can contact the Council's Data Protection Officer, Aaron Linden at:

Complaints

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at:

Changes to this privacy notice

Any changes to this privacy notice will apply to you and your data immediately.

If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, we will take reasonable steps to let you know. This privacy notice was last updated 17 May 2023.