Legislation – Welfare Reform Act 2012

Welfare Reform Act 2012, Section 129 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 07 April 2026. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

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Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 129:

specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/1511 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 5 13 14 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/2657 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 4–6 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/2657 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 13 15 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/2846 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 3 4 7 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/983 by S.I. 2018/138 art. 3
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/983 by S.I. 2019/10 reg. 3(1)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/983 by S.I. 2019/167 art. 5(2)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/983, art. 5A(1), 6(1) by S.I. 2017/483 art. 2
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/1583 by S.I. 2017/664 art. 5 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/209 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 3 4 8 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/209 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 10 16 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 5 9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2016/963 art. 3 7 8 13 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2017/584 art. 5 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2017/664 art. 5 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 3–5 10 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2016/963 art. 4 6–12 14 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 3–9 11 12 17 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2017/584 art. 3 4 6–9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2017/664 art. 3–5 7–9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 3 4 11 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2016/963 art. 3–12 15 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 3–7 9 12 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2017/584 art. 3 4 6–9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2017/664 art. 3–9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33 by S.I. 2018/138 art. 6
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33 by S.I. 2019/10 reg. 3(2)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33 by S.I. 2019/167 art. 5(3)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33 by S.I. 2019/37 art. 5
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33, art. 6(11) by S.I. 2017/483 art. 3
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2018/138 art. 6
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2019/10 reg. 3(3)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2019/167 art. 5(4)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2019/37 art. 5
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634, art. 7(2) by S.I. 2017/376 reg. 4
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2016/596 by S.I. 2016/963 art. 17
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2019/37 by S.I. 2019/935 art. 2
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2014/1583 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 3 Sch.
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 3 Sch.
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 3 Sch.
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 3 Sch.
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 5

Part 5Social security: general

129Unlawful disclosure of information supplied under section 128

(1)

A person to whom information is supplied under section 128, or an employee or former employee of such a person, may not disclose the information if it relates to a particular person.

(2)

Subsection (1) does not apply to—

(a)

a disclosure of a summary or collection of information so framed as not to enable information relating to any particular person to be ascertained from it;

(b)

a disclosure made for the purposes of a function of the Director of Public Prosecutions, where the disclosure does not contravene any restriction imposed by the Director;

(c)

a disclosure made to the Secretary of State, or a person providing services to the Secretary of State, for the purposes of the exercise of functions relating to social security matters (within the meaning of section 128) F1or child support;

(d)

a disclosure made for the purposes of a criminal investigation or criminal proceedings (whether or not in the United Kingdom);

(e)

a disclosure made for the purposes of—

(i)

the exercise of any functions of the prosecutor under Parts 2, 3 and 4 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002;

(ii)

the exercise of any functions of the Serious Organised Crime Agency under that Act;

(iii)

the exercise of any functions of the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland or the Scottish Ministers under, or in relation to, Part 5 or 8 of that Act;

(iv)

investigations or proceedings outside the United Kingdom which have led or may lead to the making of an external order within the meaning of section 447 of that Act;

(f)

a disclosure made to a person exercising public functions of law enforcement for the purposes of the exercise of those functions in civil proceedings;

(g)

a disclosure which in the opinion of the Director of Public Prosecutions is desirable for the purpose of safeguarding national security;

(h)

a disclosure made in pursuance of an order of a court;

(i)

a disclosure made with the consent of each person to whom the information relates.

(3)

Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to information relating to schemes and arrangements under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973.

(4)

Subsection (1) is subject to any other Act or to an instrument made under an Act.

(5)

A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence.

(6)

It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section of disclosing information to prove that he or she reasonably believed—

(a)

that the disclosure was lawful, or

(b)

that the information had already and lawfully been made available to the public.

(7)

A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a)

on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine or both, or

(b)

on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding F2the general limit in a magistrates’ court or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both.

(8)

A prosecution for an offence under this section may be instituted only with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

(9)

In relation to an offence under this section committed before F32 May 2022, the reference in subsection (7)(b) to F4the general limit in a magistrates’ court shall have effect as if it were a reference to six months.

Changes to legislation: