IDG68500 - Procedure for disclosing information to others (government): Student Loan information
HMRC may disclose, on request, such information as may be necessary for the collection of Student Loans. This information may only be disclosed to the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) or the Student Loan Company (SLC).
The HMRC business streams responsible for disclosing information are:
- The East Kilbride Student Loans Unit (EKSLU). EKSLU’s role includes:
-
- the Student Loan Exception handling and day to day Student Loan work
- Student Loan Customer trace and match process (CTMP) work
- Student Loan Validating Household Income (VHI) work
- HMRC Complaints handling teams
- DMB offices working on Student Loan trace work
- The PSN Collection of Student Loans policy and technical team will also be involved across all subjects on a day to day basis.
Offices other than those listed above are not permitted to disclose Student Loan information relating to student loans.
Procedure to follow
If you do not work in one of the designated offices noted above, but a request for student loan information is received, you should advise the requestor that local offices are not permitted to disclose this information. The request for information should be referred to the Student Loan office in East Kilbride (see IDG90100 for contact details).
If a request for Student Loan information is received from any organisation other than BIS or the SLC, please contact Information Strategy (see IDG90100) for further advice.
Legislation which allows disclosure
Section 24 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998. It is important to note when considering this provision that Schedule 2 Part 2 of CRCA specifically provides that only information held or obtained in connection with former Inland Revenue functions may be disclosed under this gateway. See IDG90700 for details of former Inland Revenue functions.
Devolved administrations
This guidance applies to the whole of the United Kingdom.
Further guidance
If you receive a request for Student Loans information and are unsure how to proceed, please contact the Student Loans Unit in East Kilbride for advice (see IDG90100). For all other enquiries about confidentiality, please contact Information Strategy (see IDG90100).
