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Privacy Notice - e-Services

Please read the following Privacy Notice carefully.

The purpose of this Privacy Notice is to explain how and for what purposes we process your personal data. It applies to personal data that is processed electronically and on paper. 

Why we are collecting your data

Basildon Borough Council provides an e-Services application enabling online billing and access to other services or information with respect to Council Tax, Business Rates and Housing Benefit. This requires an email address to log in. As part of the sign-up process residents are offered an opportunity to provide their mobile number in order that they may receive optional SMS text messages or calls in respect of the management of any of these accounts and any collection and enforcement processes, or information we require in order to process any application for discounts, exemptions or benefits.

Information collected

  • mobile telephone number
  • email address

This is needed in order to be able to access e-Services and send SMS text messages for the purpose of providing updates, reminders, notifications or processing any applications a resident makes in respect of their account(s) for discounts, exemptions, financial aid or Housing Benefit in order to provide a more expedient, efficient service.

The data is collected through:

  • Online Application Form within the e-Services application

The basis for the processing

By providing an email address and a mobile number (mobile number optional) you are giving clear consent for the Council to use this information to contact you with respect to your Council Tax, Housing Benefit or Business Rates account(s) for the purposes of providing updates, reminders or information about your account(s), processing applications made by you or on your behalf for financial assistance, exemptions, discounts and reductions, and in relation to collection and enforcement processes supported by legislation laid down by the Government.

Who your information will be shared with

Your information will initially be administered by the Council's Revenues & Benefits Service.   However, we may pass your name, address and email address to other internal council services, for example; to the waste/recycling team, so that information can be sent to you explaining the services that the Council provides to residents.

We may also share your information with other bodies. We have a public interest reason, which is supported by legislation, to share your data with the following organisations for the purpose of preventing and detecting fraud and error or recovering unpaid Council Tax:

  • HM Courts and Tribunals Service
  • Cabinet Office (National Fraud Initiative)
  • Her Majesty's Revenues and Customs
  • Vigilant Apps Limited
  • Mag:Net Solutions Limited
  • Equifax Ltd
  • Rossendales Ltd
  • Newlyn PLC
  • CDER Group
  • oneSource or The Office for National Statistics (ONS).

We will never sell your data. However, we may share some of your personal information with third parties to:

  • Comply with legal obligations and legislative requirements
  • Help business partners, suppliers and sub-contractors to deliver any contract we enter with them or you
  • To help if there is need of any professional or legal advice on a matter relating to you
  • To help prevent fraud and/or tackle crime
  • To improve and optimise the performance of our services

Provide accurate information

We need to hold accurate and up to date information about you so that we can deliver appropriate services. If any of your details change, you need to tell us as soon as possible so that we can update your records.
We will not:

  • Use your information for marketing or sales purposes without your prior explicit consent.
  • Send or store your data abroad unless it meets the requirements of the Data Protection regulations
  • Make decisions about you based on automated processing

How long will we hold your data for?

We will keep your mobile number for as long as you have an ongoing liability with us, up to a maximum of 6 years plus current year, or until you remove / amend your number, or request for your number to be removed or amended by us.

Your rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you.  Any access requests are free of charge.

If the information we hold about you is inaccurate, you have a right to have this corrected and you have the right to request completion of incomplete data.

You have the right to ask us to erase your personal data in certain circumstances ('right to be forgotten').

You have the right to ask us to stop or restrict the processing of your personal data, in certain circumstances.  Where possible, we will seek to comply with your request, but we may need to hold or process information to comply with a legal requirement.

You can make any of these requests by:

The Data Protection Officer
Basildon Borough Council
Basildon Centre,
St. Martin's Square,
Basildon
SS14 1DL.

If you are dissatisfied with how we have used your personal information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, by:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Further independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing issues is available from the Information Commissioner's Office, see: