National Insurance Numbers, Sexuality and Economic Status
of all its tenants and of the people who live with them.
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- Susan Harwood
- It's one of those odd things . . . I live in my little house by the sea and listen to the radio and reckon I know best about more-or-less everything . . . as I keep telling the news-casters, the policiticians and all the experts interviewed there. I shout quite loud - but I'm beginning to suspect they can't hear! Sometimes, I write to my MP . . . but there's always more to say. So, here it is!
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5 comments:
I don't know why they want your NI number. However, housing associations are keen to know their customers better and monitor whether different types of resident (by gender, by sexuality, by ethnicity, by disability, etc) are being treated fairly and sensitively.
Your housing association should be explaining why they want to know about your circumstances, what they are going to do with the information and how they will keep it secure.
You can of course tell them to be mind their own business if they can't explain what this is all about!
Hello Bob - good to hear from you.
I'm never comfortable about forms like this.
(The school my daughter goes to has circus workers as an ethnic group.)
Even though I understand the thinking behind them, I also think they are intrusive.
As well as the National Insurance number of everyone in the household, it asks things like if they are transgender; perhaps bisexual or unsure about their sexuality!
Then it wants phone numbers (day, evening, mobile)email addresss etc.
There are pages of this . . . what times of day are you at home? Shall we come to the back door? Are you vulnerable in any way? It can be shared with contractors and would be a god-send to burglars - especially as it asks for your economic status and whether you have a bank account.
Good material for blackmail too.
Of course, we can refuse to fill it in (I will) but only against some of the questions does it give the options of 'prefer not to say' or 'refused'.
(Why the difference in how the options are given?)
I know you have a special interest in housing and may well be irritated by people (like me!) who are irritated by forms like these - but don't you think there is an element of 'over-the-top-ness' here.
(And lack of sensitivity?)
Susan
P.S. There's a big red notice to say we can win £250 if we fill it in and send it back!
As well as refusing to fill the form in, I suggest you email the Chief Executive with your thoughts.
I know why they want most of the information - it is to serve you better (foir example, the questions about phone numbers and times of day when you are in - that is so they can contact you at a time convenient for you eg to arrange gas servicing or to remind you of a repairs appointment.) But the form seems a bit clumsy!
I can definitely see how this would make one feel vulnerable-and the big red offer on the back for 250 quid makes it look like a carrot before the donkey. (I've never heard of circus worker as ethnic group, here Pacific Islander or Native American
are the most interesting.) but how can knowing one's 'sexuality' help with services like meter-reading?
I wouldn't fill it in either.
Hi, Rosa!
Susan
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