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<p>At no point during a Universal Credit claim does the Department ask a person to
sign a waiver. To safeguard the sensitive and personal data we hold about people’s
Universal Credit claims, we ask representatives making enquiries on behalf of others
to demonstrate that they have claimant consent. This is a simple process, which can
be completed online or by telephone by the claimant, and has been in place since 2017.</p><p>
</p><p>The Universal Credit system is structured around an online personal account
which contains all the information relevant to the claim. This can include details
about: bank accounts, savings, capital, medical history and family relationships,
in addition to third parties including landlords and employers. Therefore, we need
to ensure a high level of security and protection exists to combat unscrupulous individuals
and organisations who try to access the information and seek to impersonate genuine
representatives.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is continuing to work with Social Security
Advisory Committee (SSAC) and third party organisations to understand how Universal
Credit can support organisations who help our claimants. We are committed to having
processes in place which effectively supports claimants to access our services, but
which also protects information.</p>
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