Coventry City Council Complies with the Data Protection Act and the GDPR and is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a Data Controller.
This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, and share your personal information in relation to applications for the Household Support Find.
Why we collect and use personal data about you
We collect and use personal data to:
- assess your eligibility for the Household Support Fund
- issue of PayPoint vouchers for energy or other essential costs (via Open Banking or in store vouchers)
- issue Love2Shop vouchers for clothing and bedding
- share details with third party providers to fulfil awards (e.g. furniture or appliances)
- refer you to organisations offering longer term support
- develop and improve our services
- complete statistical returns to Government departments (e.g. the Department for Work and Pensions)
- offer you further financial support
Our lawful basis for processing your personal data is public task.
What information do we collect about you?
- full name
- address
- contact details (email address and/or phone number)
- date of birth
- National Insurance number
- details of household members
- information about benefits you receive
- supporting evidence (e.g. bank statements. Universal Credit journal entries, utility bills)
Who we share your personal data with
- PayPoint to issue vouchers (via text message)
- Open Banking for voucher payments directly in to your bank account (if chosen)
- Love2Shop for issuing clothing or bedding vouchers
- approved third party providers for delivery of goods (e.g. furniture, appliances) or longer-term support services
- where appropriate and with your consent, we may refer individuals to partner organisations such as Citizens Advice Bureau and Central England Law Centre for specialised advice and support
- other internal Coventry City Council Departments where further support has been identified from the information you have provided
- Emergency Services – if you have told us, you are at risk of harm
How long will we keep your information?
We will only keep your information for as long as we need to so we can give you the service(s) you need, unless we must keep it for legal reasons. The times may be different depending on the service you have asked for/are provided with.
- Telephone call recordings are retained for eight weeks before being permanently deleted
- The case management record created when you apply for the Household Support Fund will remain for 6 years
Your rights
You have the right to:
- Ask to see the personal information we hold about you
- Withdraw consent
- Ask us to change information we hold about you if it is wrong
- Ask us to delete the information we hold about you
- Ask us to limit the way we use your personal Information
- Ask for human intervention regarding decisions made about you by a computer
- Data portability (have your data transferred to another Authority)
- Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office
To exercise any of these rights please contact the Household Support Team by email: customerservicecommunitysupport@coventry.gov.uk.
Withdrawal of Consent
Where personal data is processed on the basis of consent, you will have the right to withdraw that consent. However, Coventry City Council processes personal data that it is necessary to do so in order to comply with our legal obligations and to enable us to perform tasks carried out in the public interest.
Complaints
You have the right to submit a complaint if you are unhappy with the way your request is handled or disagree with a decision made by the council regarding your data. In these circumstances, you can contact the Data Protection Team (DPO) and request a review of the decision: dpoteam@coventry.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with any outcome from the DPO you may wish to apply to the Information Commissioner's Office at:
The Information Commissioner's Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF.
Reviewed: 6 October 2025