CCM3120 - Liaison: External Links - Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - Disclosure of Information between HMRC and DWP - General

The HMRC and DWP can disclose information about their customers to one another, to counter fraudulent or non-compliant behaviour and to improve their service to customers. This information can relate not only to an individual customer but also to others whose circumstances may be relevant to the customer, such as the partner of a tax credit customer.

Some of the exchanges for NTC will take place automatically through the department’s IT systems, for example, the DWP will automatically notify HMRC of customers’ entitlement to Income Support / Jobseeker’s Allowance / Employment and Support Allowance/ Minimum Income Guarantee (IS/JSA/MIG) and Jobcentre Plus (JC+) staff will have view access to NTC data.

This data includes personal details, award information, breakdown of payments and entitlements, childcare and provider details, claim status, and bank and employment details. But information is also exchanged in specific cases or groups of case, particularly where one department is investigating a person or persons and considers that information from the other department might be useful.

Case-specific liaison with the DWP takes place through the Liaison Officer in each CCRO. The Liaison Officer is responsible for managing the arrangements for the exchange of information between the two departments, and is the focal point of those arrangements. The DWP should direct requests for information to the appropriate Liaison Officer, who will pass them on to the appropriate authorised person to respond.