The Department for Work and Pensions is said to be ‘extremely concerned’ after confidential information about JobcentrePlus customers was accidentally posted to a man claiming benefits.

An investigation is underway into the data breach involving Colchester JobcentrePlus. According to reports, the personal details of eight jobseekers – including their names and National Insurance Numbers – were sent by mistake to another customer, who handed the information in to a local newspaper.

In a statement, the DWP said:

“We have recovered the information and are looking into this to find out what happened and the measures we need to take to prevent this occurring again.”

Source: Essex County Standard, 9 March 2010.

The Department for Work and Pensions has apologised after an administrative mix-up resulted in sensitive personal information being sent to the wrong person.

The documents were said to include the medical history and National Insurance number of the individual concerned.

Source: Lancashire Evening Post, 22 February 2010.

HM Revenues and Customs has reportedly compromised customers’ personal data again – albeit not on the scale of the famous 2007 incident where it lost 25 million personal records.

In the latest incident, the Mail on Sunday reports HMRC has sent out 2,200 child benefit letters to the wrong people. Some of the letters, issued to families of children under the age of 16, are said to contain names, addresses, National Insurance and Child Benefit numbers, as well as teenagers’ names and birthdays.

Source: Mail on Sunday, 7 February 2010.