Crime and Courts Act 2013

Social security information

3 (1) An NCA officer must not disclose social security information unless the relevant authority consents to the disclosure.

(2) If an NCA officer has disclosed social security information to a person, that person must not further disclose that information unless the relevant authority consents to the disclosure.

(3) In this paragraph—

• “relevant authority” means—

  (a)

  the Secretary of State (in the case of a disclosure or further disclosure of information held, when disclosed to the NCA, for the purposes of the functions of the Secretary of State);

  (b)

  the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland (in the case of a disclosure or further disclosure of information held, when disclosed to the NCA, for the purposes of the functions of a Northern Ireland department);

• “social security information” means information which, when disclosed to the NCA, was information held for the purposes of any of the following functions of the Secretary of State or a Northern Ireland Department—

  (a)

  functions relating to social security, including functions relating to—

  (i)

  statutory payments as defined in section 4C(11) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992;

  (ii)

  maternity allowance under section 35 of that Act;

  (iii)

  statutory payments as defined in section 4C(11) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

  (iv)

  maternity allowance under section 35 of that Act;

  (v)

  schemes and arrangements under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973;

  (b)

  functions relating to the investigation and prosecution of offences relating to tax credits.