Change description : 2026-03-04 09:45:00: Replaced DWP Information Management Policy version 6.9 with version 7.0. Replaced DWP managing customer records guide with DWP Information Management Standard version 1.0. Replaced PDF with Customer Records Retention Schedule version 1.0. [Guidance and regulation]
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We publish this information to help people understand how we manage personal data.
The DWP personal information charter contains the standards you can expect when we ask for, or hold, your personal information. It also explains the rights you have under data protection law.
Updated "DWP managing customer records guide" and "DWP managing customer records guide: Appendix 2.2" to versions 6.4.
5 February 2025
Updated "DWP Information Management Policy" to version 6.9. There is a change to terminology in paragraph 4.4.4 about disposing of information. Updated "DWP managing customer records guide" to version 6.3. There is a change to the entry for Industrial Injuries Schemes in Appendix 2.2 to state it does not include national schemes. Appendix 2.2 has been added as a separate document.
22 October 2024
Updated the DWP Information Management Policy to version 6.8 with changes to paragraphs 1.3 and 4.3.5.
22 July 2024
Amendments to Information Management Policy (now version 6.7), and Managing Customer Records (now version 6.1) and Appendix 2.2.
17 April 2024
Published an updated version of the DWP managing customer records guide.
5 February 2024
Updated DWP: information management policies, paragraphs 1.3, 2.1, 4.1.6, 4.2.3 and 4.3.2.
31 October 2023
Updated DWP Information Management Policy.
3 April 2023
Updated 'Information management policy' to version 6.4.
19 January 2023
Updated paragraph 3.8, address to send benefit records to. New address is Heywood (Restore PLC) Unit D, Birch Business Park, Heywood, OL10 2SX.
6 January 2023
Updated the Managing Customer Records document (section 1, section 3.3.3, section 4.2.5, section 6 and section 7).
24 October 2022
Changes made to section 7 (Non-standard retention) of the managing customer records guide. The changes have been made to the first sentence of section 7 and to the entry for Finance records.
2 September 2022
Updated the DWP managing customer records guide.
29 April 2022
Revised paragraph 17 in the DWP information management policy (IMP). This is version 6.1 of the IMP.
10 February 2022
Revised the bullet point about Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) in section 4: guidance for specific customer records of the managing customer records guide. The note that miner’s claims are embargoed has been removed, the embargo is now lifted.
17 December 2021
Revised managing customer records staff guide - moved the Child Maintenance Group from the 14 month list to the exempted 14 month list.
25 November 2021
Edited section 4 in Managing Customer Records to include an email address for further information about exceptions.
30 July 2021
Updated 'DWP information management policy' to include mentions of SharePoint Online and OneDrive. Updated 'DWP managing customer records guide' to reflect not keeping records locally for more than 4 weeks
and the list of benefits that don’t have the standard 14 month retention period.
24 November 2020
Updated 'Information management policy' to version 5.
20 November 2020
Updated the 'General retention principles' section of the 'Managing customer records' guide.
23 January 2020
Updated managing customer records guidance to version 3.2.
18 December 2019
Updated information management policy to version 4.1.