Our approach to information about an individual’s needs

The approach you take when:

• understanding
• interpreting
• and gathering, where necessary

information about an individual’s needs to establish their entitlement must align with the principles of dignity, fairness, and respect.

These principles are outlined in our Social Security Charter. You must apply our decision-making principles when making a decision on an individual’s entitlement, based on the information you have available. These are set out in the Principles of Decision-Making chapter.

You must approach information with understanding and consideration of the following concepts:

• trust-based approach •
• balance of probabilities.

These are set out in the Principles of Decision-Making chapter

Related reading 

• our charter
• the role of supporting information in the decision-making process
• supporting information operational guidance 
• Equal consideration