Privacy Policy

Vertis Peak Advisory Services Ltd ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard personal information when you use our website or engage our services.

Who We Are

Vertis Peak Advisory Services Ltd is a benefits advisory company registered in England and Wales (Company Number: 09847362). Our registered office is at 14 Welfare House, Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 2RJ.

For data protection purposes, we are the data controller. Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted at [email protected].

Information We Collect

We collect and process different types of personal information depending on how you interact with us:

When You Contact Us

• Name and contact details (email address, postal address)
• Details of your enquiry or the nature of support you're seeking
• Any information you choose to share about your circumstances

When You Engage Our Services

• Identification documents (passport, driving licence, proof of address)
• Financial information (income details, bank statements, benefit letters)
• Health information (medical evidence, GP letters, assessment reports)
• Household composition and living arrangements
• Employment history and current employment status
• Information about caring responsibilities

When You Visit Our Website

• Technical data including IP address, browser type, and device information
• Usage data about how you navigate our website
• Cookie data as described in our Cookies Policy

How We Use Your Information

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To respond to your enquiries and provide requested information
• To deliver benefits advisory services under our contractual agreement
• To prepare benefit applications, appeals, and tribunal submissions on your behalf
• To communicate with government departments, tribunals, and other bodies as necessary for your case
• To maintain records of the advice and support provided
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
• To improve our services and website functionality

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your information under the following legal bases:

• Contract: Processing necessary to fulfil our service agreement with you
• Legal obligation: Processing required to comply with regulatory requirements
• Legitimate interests: Processing for business purposes where your rights are not overridden
• Consent: Where you have given explicit permission for specific processing activities

For special category data (health information), we rely on your explicit consent and the substantial public interest condition for provision of social protection advice.

Information Sharing

We may share your personal information with:

• Government departments: Including DWP, HMRC, and local councils as necessary for your benefit claims
• Tribunals: When preparing or presenting appeals on your behalf
• Healthcare providers: When requesting medical evidence with your consent
• Professional advisors: Our accountants, lawyers, or insurers for business purposes
• IT service providers: Who help us operate our systems securely

We never sell your personal information to third parties. We only share information where necessary for the purposes described, and we require all third parties to respect the security of your data.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information:

• Encrypted storage for digital records
• Secure file transfer for document exchange
• Access controls limiting staff access to relevant information
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Staff training on data protection
• Secure disposal of physical documents

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for different periods depending on the type:

• Enquiry records: 2 years from last contact if you don't become a client
• Client records: 7 years from the end of our service agreement
• Financial records: 7 years as required by accounting regulations
• Tribunal records: 7 years from the final decision

After these periods, we securely delete or anonymise your information unless longer retention is required by law.

Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal information
• Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Erasure: Request deletion of your information in certain circumstances
• Restriction: Request we limit how we use your information
• Portability: Request transfer of your information in a machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We respond to all requests within one month.

Complaints

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically. Significant changes will be communicated via our website. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.

Contact Us

For questions about this policy or our data practices, contact:

Vertis Peak Advisory Services Ltd
14 Welfare House, Bridge Street
Manchester, M3 2RJ
Email: [email protected]