Energy Bills Support Scheme and Alternative Fuel Payment Scheme privacy notice

This privacy notice relates to the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) and Alternative Fuel Payment Scheme Alternative Fund (AFPAF).

Who is the Data Controller for the information I provide?

Liverpool City Council a joint data controller with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for the purposes of assessing eligibility and administering HM Government’s EBSS and AFPAF scheme.

Liverpool City Council and DESNZ work under the legal obligations and conditions of both the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Why we collect your data

We collect personal information you when you apply for an EBSS  and/or AFPAF payment. This personal information is shared with the council by the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and/or Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). We will use your personal information to assess your entitlement to a payment under the EBSS and AFPAF scheme.

What is the legal basis for collecting and processing this data?

We will only use your personal information when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal information in the following circumstances:

  1. Where we need to perform the contract we have entered into with you.
  2. Where we need to comply with a legal obligation.
  3. Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.

In this instance the lawful basis is provided under Article 6 (1) (e) of the UK GDPR as the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

Information we may collect

We will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information that you provide to us when completing your application for support under the EBSS and AFPAF scheme, which may include:

  • Your full name
  • Your full residential address
  • Your email address
  • Your telephone number
  • Your representative’s details - if you nominate someone else to complete an application on your behalf
  • Your date of birth
  • Your National Insurance Number
  • Your bank account details

Do I have to provide this information, and what will happen if I don’t?

If you fail to provide certain information when requested, we may not be able to pay you the EBSS and AFPAF.

Who will your information be shared with?

We will share your personal data securely with the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) where it is both necessary and appropriate to do so.

We will legitimately share information with the police, law enforcement, tax authorities or other government and fraud prevention agencies as requested if they are using it to perform public functions, or they are fulfilling a legislated obligation.

How long will you keep this information for and why?

We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

For information you provide to us in support of your application, we will only keep your personal data for as long as it is needed for the purposes of the administering the EBSS and AFPAF scheme.

Please see How to access your data page of this section for the council's full retention schedule.

How will my information be stored?

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed.

We have written procedures and policies which are regularly audited, and the audits are reviewed at senior level.

In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. Details of these measures may be obtained from the Information team at DPO@liverpool.gov.uk.

Will this information be used to make automated decisions about me?

No.

Will my data be transferred abroad and why?

No.

What rights do I have when it comes to my data?

You have a number of rights that are set out on the How to access your data page of this section.

Where can I get advice?

View our Help and advice page for more information.