Benefit System (Personal Data)

Mr. Ashdown

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the personal data held on the computerised national unemployment benefit system for each person receiving benefit.

The computerised national unemployment benefit system holds both personal details about claimants and the details of their claim to benefit. The latter are often complicated and technical and to some extent therefore the following list is a summary.The information held is:

(1) Name.

(2) National insurance number.

(3) Date of birth.

(4) Address.

(5) Sex.

(6) Marital status.

(7) Whether the person is a student.

(8) Whether the person has worked since leaving full time education.

(9) The post office at which the person will cash benefit girobank cheques.

(10) Whether girobank cheques are to be posted to the person or handed to him/her at the unemployment benefit office.

(11) The weekday on which the claimant must attend to make his/her weekly or fortnightly claim for benefit.

(12) A code letter to indicate where claim documents are filed.

(13) The beginning and end dates of the current period of claim and the cumulative total of days paid.

(14) The date and amount of the last payment made to the person.

(15) The dates and rates at which benefit has been paid on the current claim.

(16) Dates for which an increase of benefit for a dependant has been admitted.

(17) Dates and amounts of supplementary allowance overall need.

(18) The dates of any period for which benefit has been suspended, disallowed or disqualified and the reason for it.

(19) The code number of the last office at which unemployment or incapacity benefit was claimed.

(20) The code number of the current office of claim.

(21) Whether the next payment of benefit is to be made to another person appointed by the claimant to receive it. The name and address of that person.

(22) Details of national insurance contributions paid by or credited to the claimant which may be relevant to the current claim.

(23) Information on whether the contribution conditions for receipt of benefit are satisfied.

(24) Whether the person has exhausted entitlement to unemployment benefit or has requalified for benefit following exhaustion.

(25) Dates of any known periods of full-time education or training which may be relevant to the claim.

(26) Information on the satisfaction of the additional condition for receipt of benefit for full time students.

(27) Information relating to the award of special credits to widows and women whose marriages have terminated.

(28) Information relating to the award of special credits to people who have recently begun paying national insurance contributions.

(29) Dates of marriage and termination of marriage.

(30) Dates of a married woman's election to pay or not pay reduced rate national insurance contributions.

(31) Weeks for which credits of national insurance contributions are available in the current period of claim.

(32) Details of earnings declared by the person and deducted from supplementary allowance otherwise due.

(33) Details of previous spells of unemployment, incapacity or approved training which could affect the current claim.

(34) The date or dates and reasons that the claim is to be reviewed.

(35) A detailed record of days for which benefit was claimed in the current spell.

(36) Dates of any delayed claim for benefit admitted in the current spell.

(37) Details of previous pay and tax, tax references and tax code.

(38) Details of total benefit and total taxable benefit paid in the current spell.

(39) The amount of occupational pension affecting the claim.

(40) The type and amount of any other benefit received by the person or a dependant which may reduce or extinguish entitlement to unemployment benefit.

(41) The amount and type of any previously overpaid benefit which is to be recovered by deduction from current benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how staff of his Department access personal data held on the computerised national unemployment benefit system; and whether personal data can be accessed without the national insurance number being given.

Personal data can be accessed only by staff of this Department and the Department of Health and Social Security using the national insurance number and is output to unemployment benefit offices in printed form.

Volume 77: debated on Wednesday 24 April 1985