GovWire

The Data Protection Act 2018 requires organisations who process personal data to meet certain legal obligations.

This document outlines where the processing of special categories of personal data, criminal offence data and sensitive personal data is required for:

• performing or exercising obligations or rights, which are imposed or conferred by law on the controller or the data subject in connection with employment, social security or social protection
• reasons of substantial public interest
• archiving, research and statistical purposes
• law enforcement purposes

It also provides information about the safeguards that DfE has put in place in accordance with the data protection principles, including our policy for the retention and erasure of personal data.