Welfare Reform Act 2007

41 Social security information

(1) In the Administration Act, after section 7A (sharing of functions as regards certain claims and information) insert—

“7B Use of social security information

(1) A relevant authority may use for a relevant purpose any social security information which it holds.

(2) Regulations may make provision as to the procedure to be followed by a relevant authority for the purposes of any function it has relating to the administration of a specified benefit if the authority holds social security information which—

(a) is relevant for the purposes of anything which may or must be done by the authority in connection with a claim for or an award of the benefit, and

(b) was used by another relevant authority in connection with a claim for or an award of a different specified benefit or was verified by that other authority in accordance with regulations under section 7A(2)(e) above.

(3) A relevant purpose is anything which is done in relation to a claim which is made or which could be made for a specified benefit if it is done for the purpose of—

(a) identifying persons who may be entitled to such a benefit;

(b) encouraging or assisting a person to make such a claim;

(c) advising a person in relation to such a claim.

(4) Social security information means—

(a) information relating to social security, child support or war pensions;

(b) evidence obtained in connection with a claim for or an award of a specified benefit.

(5) A specified benefit is a benefit which is specified in regulations for the purposes of this section.

(6) Expressions used in this section and in section 7A have the same meaning in this section as in that section.

(7) This section does not affect any power which exists apart from this section to use for one purpose social security information obtained in connection with another purpose.”

(2) In section 7A of that Act—

(a) in subsection (1) after paragraph (b) insert—

“(c) as regards any relevant benefit, for claims for that benefit to be made to—

(i) a county council in England,

(ii) a person providing services to a county council in England, or

(iii) a person authorised to exercise any function a county council in England has under this section.”;

(b) in subsection (2) after paragraph (d) insert—

“(e) the verification by a relevant authority of information or evidence supplied to or obtained by the authority in connection with a claim for or an award of a relevant benefit.”;

(c) in subsection (3) for “and (d)” substitute “, (d) and (e)”;

(d) in subsection (3)(a) for “(1)(a) or (b)” substitute “(1)(a), (b) or (c)”;

(e) in subsection (6) for paragraph (c) substitute—

“(c) “relevant authority” means—

(i) a Minister of the Crown;

(ii) a local authority;

(iii) a county council in England;

(iv) a person providing services to a person mentioned in sub-paragraphs (i) to (iii);

(v) a person authorised to exercise any function of a local authority relating to housing benefit or council tax benefit;

(vi) a person authorised to exercise any function a county council in England has under this section;”.

(3) In Part 1 of Schedule 4 to that Act (persons employed in social security administration or adjudication), under the heading “Local authorities etc” after the entry relating to a person authorised under section 139A(1) of that Act insert—

“A member, officer or employee of a county council in England who exercises—

(a) any function conferred on the county council by regulations made under section 7A of this Act;

(b) any function in connection with a relevant purpose within the meaning of section 7B(3) of this Act.

A person authorised to exercise any such function of such a county council or an employee of such a person.”