Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will ensure data held by HMRC to help identify people eligible for Pension Credit is made available to local authorities.

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is subject to a strict duty of confidentiality and may only disclose information it holds where the law allows.

There are a number of exceptions to this duty which allow HMRC to share information. These include sharing information where a statutory information sharing gateway provides for it.

HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) work closely to deliver information to Local Authorities (LAs) to enable then to administer a number of benefits and payments.

Where there is a legal basis for LAs to receive or re-use HMRC information shared with them via DWP for the purpose of identifying those eligible for benefits, including Pension Credit, HMRC will work with DWP to support such requests.