Credit control privacy notice

This privacy notice is designed to help you understand how and why the credit control team processes your personal data. This notice should be read in conjunction with our corporate privacy notice.

Who are we?

North Yorkshire Council is a ‘data controller’ as defined by Article 4(7) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The credit control team is responsible for ensuring efficient and effective debt collection on behalf of North Yorkshire Council and taking appropriate recovery action.

The council has appointed Veritau to be its data protection officer. Their contact details are:

Information Governance Office
Veritau
West Offices
Station Rise
York
North Yorkshire
YO1 6GA

Email: infogov@northyorks.gov.uk

Tel: 01904 552848

What personal information do we collect?

In order to manage debts owed to the council, the credit control team will process the following information:

• name
• date of birth (DOB) 
• address (may include current as well as previous/last known addresses)
• telephone number
• email address
• details of debt (including the reason for accrual)

Why do we collect your personal information? 

We collect your personal information so that we can:

• manage invoices and issue statements, reminders and final notices 
• recover unpaid debt owed to the council
• instigate county court action (in conjunction with legal services) refer cases to external debt collectors where necessary
• manage payments (including payment plans)
• Issue correspondence and liaise with you regarding any debt raised and provide advice and assistance
• Assist with managing the affairs of deceased persons

Who do we obtain your information from?

Internally within the council, we receive information from: 

• other teams/services in NYC who require our support/assistance with credit control related activities

Externally to the council, we may receive information from the following:

• Experian – may provide us with up to date contact details for you. If your details are known to Experian they will share your name, DOB and telephone number with us and they will confirm your last known address and previous known address
• 118 electoral register – can also provide us with an up to date postal address, DOB, telephone number and email address for you (if known)

Who do we share this information with?

Internally within the council, we may share information with the following:

• legal services
• other teams/services in NYC who are required to support/assist with credit control related activities

Externally to the council, we may share information with the following third parties: 

• Experian – if we need to contact you and we do not have your address (or believe that the address details we hold for you may be incorrect or outdated) then we may request your contact details from Experian. In order to help them find your records, we are required to share your name and address with them. Their check will confirm if the contact details we hold for you are accurate according to their records. 
• 118 electoral register – as above – we may be required to share your name and address with 118 electoral register in order to obtain up to date contact details for you.
• external debt recovery agents

How long do we keep your information for?

What is our lawful basis for processing your information?

North Yorkshire Council relies on the following lawful basis to process your personal data:

• UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f) - processing is necessary for your legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of a third party, unless there is a good reason to protect the individual’s personal data which overrides those legitimate interests
• UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b) - processing is necessary for a contract you have with the individual, or because they have asked you to take specific steps before entering into a contract

For more information about how we use your data, including your privacy rights and the complaints process, please see our corporate privacy notice.