data protection act

Yes - it can be over the top. There are members of various societies who refuse to be emailed about the activities as they don't want to be on an email list. People get very "jobsworth" about things that are totally innocent.

It can get ridiculous! Even to the point where our clerks are not allowed to tell claimants not to bother to come because on pre tribunal scrutiny their appeal has been successful!

Words fail me on that one Galen

I don't think it is the legislation that's at fault but the fact that people don't actually understand it and use it as an excuse not to give out any information even when they should. In my experience it's often the least experienced and least qualified staff who fall back on this excuse.

We've got round it. A member of the tribunal can tell them on the phone!
But as members of the tribunal are usually busy doing other cases, ?
I am really fed up with the waste of time and money that goes on.

I had DH Christmas surprise present spoiled because the bank phoned to check on something in our joint account and cos they had been through security questions with DH and although he was standing next to me and handed me the phone, they wouldn't talk to me and he had to answer the question about the purchase and as it was from carphone warehouse, hmm it was rather obvious what I had bought him and spoiled the surprise and I was not happy.

I think its about taking the good with the bad....The good being that no one can access an account unless they are permitted to which most of us are happy about. And ofcourse the bad is what has happened to you in that you are genuine and just needed access.

I get it all the time because my husband hates phoning BT British Gas Banks etc. Once all I wanted to do is pay a bill and they would not allow me to, I said to the lady I am not asking for money I wish to pay money. it all ended with me feeling quite flabagasted!!

I think people sometimes get muddled up between data protection (legal) and confidentiality (ethical). And possibly, security of data such as bank details.

Data protection, if I remember correctly, is about storage of data, looking after it properly (not misusing it) and allowing the person who is the subject of the data to see what is stored. Not about keeping it from them.
e.g. if an employee wants to know what info is in their HR file they are entitled to a copy. They may be asked to pay for photocopying etc.

Point taken Jess, I use the phrase as that was the reason quoted to me.

Oh you are not alone ninathenanna

Ah, something was niggling, I remember now. When I was a governor in a secondary school i used to get a bit concerned about the level of confidentiality that surrounded some of the kids. There were multiple problems with a high proportion on the school's child protection register. But the staff who were "in the know" were extremely cautious about sharing the information with the people who taught a child. My feeling was that if a child was having bad problems at home (and they did, often, horrendous ones) it would be helpful if the various subject teachers (who were after all, professionals) were aware that things were difficult at home (not the full details) so that they would understand a bit more if behaviour was a bit wobbly. But they were obsessed with confidentiality.