Access to email accounts?

[KarlK]

Hi, I have been assigned to the Ingeus work programme and need a bit of advice about my employment advisor's conduct. He has asked me for my password to the Universal Job Match website which I was unhappy with as Ingeus are not part of the DWP but felt that I had to oblige, he now has access to all content and control of my Universal Job Match profile and I do not feel comfortable with this. Furthermore this morning I was coerced into entering my username and password for my email account which I was extremely loath to do but in the pressure of the situation acquiesced and watched this man read through my private correspondences. I have since changed the password to my email account but I'm still angry about this and I'm concerned that it will now become a regular feature of our appointments. I have an Ingeus complaint form in front of me but need to check up on the facts whether or not I have a legitimit grievance. Any advice about privitised companies accessing personal information or directions to websites with relevant information would be a help.

[Kati]

Re: Access to email accounts?

Legally, no-one is allowed to ask you for your passwords - that would be classed as against your right to privacy and you could make a complaint under the Data Protection Act! It's in the DWP guidelines somewhere ... I can remember reading in one of their training manuals that their advisers and work providers are NOT allowed to make you give them access to your UJM or email account. They are not even allowed to mandate you to show them your UJM account.

I'll have a look through the documents I've got saved and post up the wording at some point today

[Kati]

Re: Access to email accounts?

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...vider-guidance

This link takes you to the DWP/Work Programme guidance documents ... Have a look down the list, there's lots of useful information on there :tinysmile_twink_t2:

Wish you luck with your complaint ... let me know if you need any extra info!

Kati

[KarlK]

Re: Access to email accounts?

Hi Kati

Thanks very much for your response, I'll check out those links now.

Karl

[wales01man]

Re: Access to email accounts?

Is there any reason that you have to use this account ?

[Kati]

Re: Access to email accounts?

There is also this to consider:

Regulation 24 of the Jobseeker's Regulations 1996 details the provision of evidence, and states that:
“A claimant shall provide such information as to his circumstances, his availability for
employment and the extent to which he is actively seeking employment as may be required by
the Secretary of State in order to determine the entitlement of the claimant to a jobseeker’s
allowance, whether that allowance is payable to him and, if so, in what amount.”
In terms of demonstrating you are actively seeking work, regulations do not prescribe the
format of evidence that must be provided. Therefore, a claimant can provide evidence of their
jobsearch activity by whichever means they choose. This could, but does not have to, include print-outs to demonstrate use of Universal Jobmatch.

DWP cannot require (through the issue of a Jobseeker’s Direction or any other means)
claimants to grant access to their UJ account. Access to an account is purely on a consensual
basis.

:tinysmile_grin_t:

[Kati]

Re: Access to email accounts?

and:

You have no legal requirement to provide the Jobcentre or service provider with any personal information, this includes a telephone number or E-mail address.

You can show them a CV, but you can delete the personal information such as telephone numbers or E-mail addresses. You are showing them you have the ability to generate a CV, nothing more, and if you show them a CV without personal information you have complied as you have a CV.

It is not a mandatory or legal requirement to sign the form allowing them to share personal information with third parties, so you refuse to sign it. If signed consent has been obtained you have the right to revoke it at anytime, and must do so in writing, and keep copies of this and any subsequent correspondence from them confirming revocation.

Under the Data Protection Act you have many rights, but the Jobcentres and service providers try to circumvent these rights by applying pressure to claimants. If this is the case then you find they won't revoke this you have the right to write to the Information Commissioner and complain. You will also be entitled to compensation.

Huge pressures will be put on claimants or people embarking on many of the work schemes currently provided, and I have had exactly the same. I have refused to give any personal information, and refused to sign their form to allow them to share my personal information. They need this for their audit trail as it makes it easier for them to form an audit trail, in addition they act as data collectors for the DWP.

Always remember its YOUR PERSONAL DATA and not theirs and with fraud and lost information from service providers and the DWP you could become a victim of data fraud.

Remember also that personal data is a tradeable commodity with an asset value, basically its worth money. Many companies sell on personal data directly to other companies, or sell a company to other companies as the deal will include the personal information.

[KarlK]

Re: Access to email accounts?

Hi wales01man

The Universal Job Match site is something that the DWP have introduced in the last year and although I don't think it is legally mandatory to sign up for it the majority of job seekers are now using this and it seems to have surreptitiously become the norm.

The email account that was viewed was my own account that I only really use for professional correspondence or job seeking circumstances. It wasn't really the content of the emails, the incident just struck me as really unprofessional and inappropriate.

[Kati]

Re: Access to email accounts?

Is there any reason that you have to use this account ?

wales01man, the DWP are trying to circumvent the Data Protection Act with this one. They have, in their own regulations, stated that there is no reason for a claimant to allow access to their personal UJM account, but most advisors are told to push for access (and not to tell the claimant that they have no right to do this). I know of people who have had an account made for them by a member of staff at the JCP office - meaning that there is no way to STOP them gaining access whenever they want to. THERE IS NO WAY OF CHANGING YOUR USERNAME OR PASSWORD ON UJM, THESE ARE PRE-SET ON REGISTRATION.

The DWP cannot legally mandate you to set up an account, but they can try to sanction you if you do not (saying you are not showing enough proof of jobsearch activity etc...)

[wales01man]

Re: Access to email accounts?

Can I suggest setting up an email account just for this jobseeking keeping the other private.

[Kati]

Re: Access to email accounts?

Hi wales01man

The Universal Job Match site is something that the DWP have introduced in the last year and although I don't think it is legally mandatory to sign up for it the majority of job seekers are now using this and it seems to have surreptitiously become the norm.

The email account that was viewed was my own account that I only really use for professional correspondence or job seeking circumstances. It wasn't really the content of the emails, the incident just struck me as really unprofessional and inappropriate.

If I was you KarlK, I would also write a letter revoking the right of DWP and Ingeus employees access to your personal email account to hand in either today or tomorrow. The complaint should be sent (take it in to your Job Centre and get a receipt) addressed to the manager and should be accompanied by the above.

There is a tick box in the settings page of your UJM account - log on and make sure it is unticked! You do not have to allow access to your profile, and the major consensus is NOT TO!

Job search activities can be shown to JCP in any format, screenshots, hand written, orally ... they cannot sanction you if you do not allow them access (and if they do have access they can apply for jobs FOR you, without your knowledge).

[KarlK]

Re: Access to email accounts?

I have email accounts for different things and the account that was accessed was for job seeking purposes for which I am satisfying the requirements in my job seekers agreement. My real concern is that this isn't the DWP accessing my personal correspondence, it is the privatised company that the government has sub-contracted who pressured me into something which have think is a serious breach of protocol and morally dubious.

Thanks for your advice, I'm going to have a read of the information over the weekend.

[Kati]

Re: Access to email accounts?

Can I suggest setting up an email account just for this jobseeking keeping the other private.

Lots of people are doing just this .... I'd still suggest not allowing the JCP or work providers access tho', it is so easy to slip up when someone else can apply for jobs in your name and without your knowledge. All it takes is for the user not to log on to UJM for a couple of days and they could have missed a note or a message from their advisor (or a deadline) and then they are sanctioned for 4 weeks.

The main problem I have with UJM is that it is hosted/owned by the American job site Monster, which is a much better site for doing the same thing! UJM is a DWP flagship that is being pushed onto unwary jobseekers who then stop looking on any other sites and maybe miss an opportunity.

"Jobs" on UJM are not always jobs. They are not regulated by anyone, and there have been numerous documented instances of adverts being falsified or scam listings :tinysmile_hmm_t2: