Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department issues to jobcentre staff who make telphone calls to claimants on the leaving of voicemail messages in the case of missed calls.

DWP staff have an important responsibility to protect personal data and are instructed to adhere to our security policies when leaving voicemail messages.

Voicemails left must never disclose any personal information, and should never include information by reference or expressly about:

• National Insurance numbers;
• Bank account details;
• Current or previous addresses;
• Information about health conditions;
• Their full name;
• Dates of birth;
• Family details;
• Appointment details;
• Or where it is clear that leaving a message would be inappropriate (e.g. where the purpose of the call is to clarify certain details about the claimant).

Messages left must be clear about the purpose, be brief and to the point, and relevant to the query concerned. All appropriate IT systems must also be annotated with the action taken on the claimant’s record.