Data Protection and Digital Information Bill

Members may recall our website article before Christmas (December 11, 2023)
about the worrying clause in the new ‘Data Protection and Digital Information Bill’
which would give the Department of Work and Pensions the right to access social
security claimants’ finances, including those receiving child benefit and a State
Pension. You can view our article here –
MP criticises Government proposals to allow inspection of Pensioners’ bank
accounts – CSPA
This will affect up to 22 million people, and many are unaware it is happening. The
Bill is currently at the House of Lords Committee Stage. There is significant cross-party concern about the measures to access pensioners’ bank accounts and the
issue will be seriously challenged and scrutinised by the Lords, possibly with a view
to removing the additional clause entirely or building in regulations to control the
use of the data concerned.
The Government claim they don’t want to utilise this power now, but to have the
power at their disposal for the future as they update twenty-year-old legislation.
The opposition contend that the legislation is unnecessary at best, and that it
opens the door to several issues, including potentially the means testing of State
Pensions.
CSPA are working with partners and Connect to issue a two page Bill
briefing for Peers, including a suggested amendment to the Bill that they might
propose and champion. We will also, with the help of our advisors Connect,
continue to engage with Labour front benchers and others including crossbench,
Green and Liberal Democrat Peers to build a coalition of support and offer LLA
expertise and views to their Bill work.
When the dates of the Committee are announced, Later Life Ambitions plans to
release a press statement and engage other supportive organisations to challenge
the Bill externally. We will shortly be meeting with Sir Stephen Timms MP to support
his committee scrutiny and media work, and we plan to write to the Secretary of
State to make our concerns known.
Prospect union has started a petition focusing on pensioners’ interests in the
campaign against the proposed legislation – please sign it and share it with your
networks accordingly.
Do not let the Government access information on pensioners’ bank accounts. –
Petitions (parliament.uk)