Privacy notices: Council tax and benefits

List of all privacy notices for Council tax and benefits.

Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF): Privacy notice

Who we are

Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Team  
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) Council
Town Hall
St Ives Road
Maidenhead
SL6 1RF
Email:   crf@rbwm.gov.uk.

Lawful basis for processing your information

General Data Protection Regulation Article 6(1)(e):

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.

The CRF is delivered under the following legislation and statutory guidance:

  • Local Government Act 2003 (Section 31).
  • Local Government Act 1972.
  • Localism Act 2011.
  • Welfare Reform Act 2012.
  • Social Security Administration Act 1992.
  • Statutory guidance issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for Local Welfare Provision schemes.

Our additional legal basis for using your special category data is:
Article 9(2):

h) Processing necessary for the provision or management of social care systems and services.
i) Processing necessary for reasons of substantial public interest in the area of public health.
j) Processing necessary for archiving, research and statistical purposes where safeguards are in place (Article 89).

How we collect your personal information

We collect personal information when:

  • You submit an application for a Crisis Payment or Housing Payment.
  • A trusted partner makes a referral on your behalf.
  • You engage with resilience services.
  • You provide documents and evidence (e.g., bank statements, ID).
  • Information is shared by DWP or other council departments under lawful data-sharing gateways.

Information may be collected online, by telephone, in person (e.g., libraries, Family Hubs), or through partner organisations supporting you.

What personal information is collected

The information we collect will vary depending on the support requested, but may include:

Personal details

  • Name.
  • Address and postcode.
  • Date of birth.
  • Contact details (phone, email).
  • National Insurance number.
  • Residency information / immigration status (including NRPF status where relevant).
  • Household composition.

Financial information

  • Bank statements or open banking consent.
  • Income and expenditure details.
  • Benefits information.
  • Rent, housing costs, Council Tax status.
  • Evidence of a financial shock.

Special category data (only where necessary)

This may include:

  • Health information.
  • Disability status.
  • Pregnancy or maternity status.
  • Caring responsibilities.
  • Vulnerability indicators (e.g., domestic abuse risk).
  • Ethnicity or demographic data (for equalities monitoring).

How we use your personal information

Your information is used to:

  • Assess eligibility for Crisis Payments.
  • Assess eligibility for Housing Payments (DHP-equivalent).
  • Verify identity, residency, and financial circumstances.
  • Prevent fraud and protect public funds.
  • Provide support or referrals to resilience services.
  • Understand local demand and monitor service performance.
  • Meet DWP statutory reporting, audit, and grant compliance requirements.
  • Support warm referrals to relevant council or partner services.
  • Produce anonymised monitoring and statistical reports.

We will only collect and use the minimum information required for these purposes.

Who has access to your personal information

Access is restricted to:

  • CRF team members.
  • Relevant RBWM departments (e.g., Revenues and Benefits, Housing, Adult Services) where legally necessary.
  • Council audit and governance teams.
  • Data Protection Officer (for compliance purposes).

All staff accessing your information are bound by confidentiality and data protection requirements.

Who we may share your personal information with

We may share your personal information with:

  • Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – for monitoring, audit, fraud prevention and to comply with grant conditions.
  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
  • Other RBWM departments – for verification, fraud prevention or to support referrals.
  • Partner organisations – where warm referrals are appropriate and with your agreement.
  • Law enforcement agencies – where required to prevent or detect crime.
  • HMRC – for fraud investigations, if required.

We will never sell your data or use it for marketing.

Where possible, information shared externally is anonymised.

How we keep your personal information safe

RBWM uses:

  • Secure IT systems and encrypted transmission methods.
  • Strict access controls.
  • Secure storage of paper and digital records.
  • Regular data protection and security training for staff.

All partners receiving data are contractually required to comply with UK GDPR and data protection law.

How long we store your personal information

Personal information will be retained for:

  • The duration of the Crisis & Resilience Fund (1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029).
    and
  • Up to six years after the scheme ends, in line with statutory audit, financial reporting, and fraud prevention requirements.

Information will be securely destroyed when no longer needed.

Does this service use automated decision making?

No.

All decisions on Crisis Payments and Housing Payments are made by trained RBWM officers.