Sometimes we need to discuss your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction application with other people. We will not normally discuss it with anyone except you unless you give us your permission.
Your claim includes many personal details and we treat any information you give us as confidential. We protect your privacy by following the Data Protection Act.
Discussing your claim with your family or representatives
We can also give information to someone acting on your behalf, including family members. However, we need to be sure they are doing so with your knowledge and consent, so we would ask for your written permission in these circumstances.
Sharing information with your Landlord
Sometimes sharing information with your landlord helps us to deal with your claim quickly, so there is less risk of you falling behind with your rent.
- We will only share information with your landlord if we have your written permission.
- It will not affect your claim if you do not permit us to discuss your claim with your landlord.
- You can change your mind after giving permission and we will follow your wishes.
If we have your written permission we will be able to tell your landlord:
- whether or not you have claimed Housing Benefit and whether we have decided on your claim or not
- if we need more information to help us decide on your claim and what that information is
We may need to check other information with your landlord, such as the date your tenancy started, before we decide on your claim. If so, we may ask your landlord, even if you have not permitted us to discuss your claim with them. We will not discuss anything else with your landlord unless you give us permission by signing a statement that we may do so.
We will not give your landlord any information about your:
- personal or household circumstances
- financial circumstances
Appointees
You should always sign any claim forms yourself unless you have an appointee who can represent you and deal with your claim if you are unable, because of a serious illness, for example.
The appointee takes over all of your rights and responsibilities for your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction claim on your behalf.
We will normally accept an appointee if they are:
- a receiver appointed by the court of protection
- an attorney
- a person appointed by the Department for Work and Pensions to deal with other benefits on your behalf
Sometimes, we may accept a written request from anyone aged 18 and over to be an appointee. We must first consider whether there is any conflict of interest so please get in touch for advice if you wish to choose any of these people as an appointee:
- a friend
- a relative
- a social worker
- a solicitor
Contact the Benefits Team
When contacting us about an existing claim, please remember to include your reference number in your email.
Address: Oxford City CouncilPO Box 10
Oxford
OX1 1EN