Contents:
Introduction
Access
Veterans' Affairs
Privacy
Information Privacy Principles
Why do we collect information about you
What if you deceide not to provide the information we ask for
To whom do we disclose information about you
If you have a complaint
We are committed to safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. Keeping client information secure is a top priority for Defence Service Homes (DSH) Insurance. We would like you to know how:
· we handle the information that we collect about you; and
· you can control whether or not we disclose information about you.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) and the Privacy Act 1982 (the Privacy Act), you are entitled to know what records we have about you. To find out, simply:
write to the DSH Insurance State Manager at your capital city office of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
e-mail us at insurance@dsh.gov.au
telephone us on our toll free number 1300 552 662
Before we make any information available, we will need to validate your identity or the identity of anyone else who has a right to ask for the information. We do not wish to provide personal information to someone who has no right to that information.
Where a client establishes that the personal information we have about them is not accurate, complete or up-to-date, we will correct their records as necessary.
We are part of the Veterans' Affairs portfolio which includes the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Australian War Memorial, the Office of Australian War Graves, Veterans' Review Board, and the Military Compensation and Rehabilitation Service. We are responsible to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. Our General Manager is responsible for how we operate.
We collect information about you that is necessary only for the purposes of your insurance business with us. We may use this information for statistical and management purposes. We may also disclose this information to other agencies in the Veterans' Affairs portfolio to help with its overall management. As well, sharing information with other agencies can help you receive up-to-date notices about benefits, services or information regarding the veteran or ex-service community that may be of interest to you.
By completing our insurance application form or by renewing your insurance policy with us, you consent to us using and disclosing your information.
We are bound by the provisions of the Privacy Act about how we collect, store, use and disclose personal information. We are also required to comply with the FOI Act which entitles you to request access to any document we hold (subject to exemptions) and to find out from us what information we hold about you.
Section 14 of the Privacy Act provides for the Information Privacy Principles. These set the minimum standards for how Commonwealth government organisations should handle your personal information. We are committed to complying with these Principles.
We collect information about you so that we can provide you with insurance protection for your home and for your home's contents. As this information is confidential, we know we must handle it in a secure and responsible manner. In providing this insurance protection, we may use the information about you for the purposes of:
assessing your application for new insurance, changing some of the information during the term of your current insurance policy, or for renewing your insurance policy;
providing and managing the insurance policy after we accept your application; and
assessing, managing and paying any claim you may make on the insurance policy.
We ask for information about you that is necessary for the purposes stated in this brochure. If you are unable to give us the information we ask for when you apply for your insurance or at any time during the currency of your policy, we may be unable to provide you or continue to provide you with insurance cover or to process a claim.
We only disclose information about you to people or organisations for the purposes outlined in this brochure. If appropriate, we may disclose information about you to, or collect it from:
other agencies in the Veterans' Affairs portfolio
mailing houses which we use to contact you
administration services which may help us with data management, account maintenance, documentation and settlement
banking organisations which issue our payments or which you can use to pay us
Australia Post which you can use to pay us
financiers whose names may appear on your policy
market research companies which help us with product development, planning, risk assessment and modelling
loss assessors and claim investigators who help us meet your claim
legal and other professional advisers who may help us with the management of your insurance business
other insurance companies and reinsurers which may also help us with assessing your insurance application, underwriting your insurance, or assessing and managing any claim you may have
other insurance industry bodies which may help resolve a dispute between us and you, or between us, you and a third party.
If you think that we have breached the Privacy Act or the privacy principles outlined in this brochure, we ask that you contact the DSH Insurance State Manager at your capital city office of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA). He or she will ask you to write to us outlining your concerns.
We will investigate all complaints and get back to you within 15 business days. If we agree that the concern is justified, we will resolve it immediately. If appropriate, we will change our policies and our operations so that we continue to provide you with the highest standard of service and customer care.
If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your complaint, you may also contact the Privacy Officer in the office of the Department at your capital city. The Privacy Officer will respond to your complaint within 30 days from receipt of your letter.
