Income Support Determining Officer's Guidelines used in decision making (FOI)

​​Request

I confirm that my request of [date] is for the latest full version of the internal Determining Officers Guidelines that Income Support Determining Officers use in decision-making.

For the purposes of this particular request I am not concerned with viewing any other internal user manuals that might better be described by the term 'procedures'

Response

The information that can be disclosed is too large to be sent by email. It can, however be provided on CD for you to collect from the Social Security Department. This would be the preferred method for disclosure but, if you do not have a CD drive, the department could provide it in hard copy for you to collect. Please advise the Central FOI Unit whether you would prefer a CD or hard copy. The Document Notice at the beginning of the information disclosed will explain the format of the information. 

The remainder of the information you have requested has been classified as exempt. Personal information is exempt under Article 25 (Personal Information) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011, as the information constitutes third party personal data. Release of personal information would breach the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005 (see Exemption below).

The full guideline contains examples, many of which have been based on real cases. Even where an example is not based on a real case, some people may perceive that it has and identify themselves. Therefore, to protect the privacy of those who have claimed Income Support and any possible breach of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005 by the Social Security Department, all the examples have been redacted from the guideline extract provided in response to the FOI request.

Exemption

25    Personal information

 (1)    Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005.

 (2)    Information is absolutely exempt information if – 
(a)     it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005; and 
(b)     its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.