Disabled Parking Badges Privacy Notice

How we use your personal information for processing Disabled Parking Badges

The Council provides services for local communities and the people who live in them.  Undertaking this work means that we must collect and use information about the people we provide services to and keep a record of those services. Because we collect and use personal information about individuals, we must make sure that they know what we intend to do with their information and who it may be shared with. 

We have summarised in this privacy notice some of the keyways in which we use your personal information for processing Disabled Badge. This information should be read in conjunction with the Council's corporate privacy notice published on our website

1.    Who we are what we do.

The Customer Services Contact Centre is the main customer response service for the Council. It includes most incoming and outgoing telephone calls including that of Disabled Badges, we ensure we take all necessary information to deal with the processing of your application. Our Library service can also help with supporting customers with the use of technology for online applications and assisting in the collection of evidence that is then passed to Customer Services to start the process.

2.    What and whose personal information we hold?

Where customers choose to interact with Customer Services their personal data may be shared with the other service areas and wider organisations if necessary, for them to process the customer's request.

The type of information that is captured and recorded will vary by caller needs but typically includes:

• Contact detail such as name, address, telephone number, property, and email addresses.
• Identifying details, including date of birth and national insurance number.
• Financial information, including Benefits received,
• Family information including ages, dependents, marital status.
• Information about the subject matter's health and medical details.

3.    Where does the service get my information?

The source(s) of personal information provided to/from the Customer Services may include:

• Information provided directly by the subject matter
• Information provided by a family member or another member of the public (e.g. queries/concern)
• Information provided by an elected Councillor on behalf of their constituent.
• Information provided by other Council officers/services that liaise with the Contact Centre in the interests of its customers, or the Council itself e.g. Enforcement, social care
• Information provided by other organisations (e.g. emergency services, health board) regarding an individual.

Coming soon - We will be able to check your department for works and pensions documents (e.g. Higher rate), this means you would not need to provide a hardcopy as evidence.

4.    What we will do with your personal information?

Information held with regards to a Disabled Badge can be used in the following ways:

• The customer can apply online via our website and be directed to the Gov.uk website to complete the form, having the opportunity to attach evidence and complete the application in full.
• An Application form can be completed directly from the www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge and this will then be actioned by the department.
• An application form or queries can be received into the department via various methods, this can be telephone, whereby the advisor assists the caller through the form and then prints it out and the customer signs it and sends it back with the evidence.

• The caller can go to the Library and pick up a hardcopy of the form, complete it and sent it back with evidence, and the library can verify all documents. Once the Information is received it is inputted into our backend system and it can fall under various categories e.g.: Automatic Qualifier, (e.g. DLA - Higher rate) or checked against our social care records for evidence from a professional, or referred to the GP service.
• The Department for transport oversees the Blue Badge Process

Valtec Ltd are contracted to do the processing of the blue badge, ready for print.

5.    What is the legal basis for the use of this information?

• Legal Obligations - using the information to comply with a common law or statutory obligation
• Public Tasks - to exercise 'official authority' and powers that are set out in law; or to perform a specific task in the public interest that is set out in law.

Examples for both above may include e.g. Ensuring we abide by the Welsh Government legislations, how our processing is managed and storage of data and ensuring the prevention and detection of Fraud.

6.    Does the service share my personal information with any other organisation?

Whilst information gathered during a call/processing action may be shared with other Council services or external organisations to assist in the resolution of the subject matters enquiry, it will remain confidential and will only be shared with the following, where reasons for sharing is justified:

• Other council services who work with the Contact Centre, with the intention to assist in resolving a dispute or complaint. e.g. Social Care, enforcement
• The police, to assist in the resolution of a criminal matter.
• Other organisations involved in the care of the subject matter (i.e. Social Services/Health care professionals, GP's etc.) 
• Other Councils to check records and ensure non duplication, queries on border areas
• The Department for transport oversees the Blue Badge Process
• Valtec Ltd are contracted to do the processing of the blue badge, ready for print.
• NFI Fraud department

7.    How long will my information be kept?

Hard Copy Application forms are destroyed after 3 months from the processed date.

Online applications, once the Disabled Badge has been dispatched, the application and evidence are removed from the system, if waiting for further evidence we allow 10 days, before the application is removed.

If the initial application is refused, we contact the customer and hold it open for one month, to allow for further evidence to support the application, if this is not sufficient it is removed from the system.

8.    Your information, your rights

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives you important rights, including the right to access the personal information the services hold about you. Please contact the council if you require further details.

9.    Contact Us

If you have any concerns or would like to know more about how the contact centre is using your personal information, please contact us in one of the following ways:

By email: customerservices@powys.gov.uk

In writing: Customer Services Manager Mrs Kelly Watts