I am requesting my complete file from Service Canada online but a little confused with which one to choose from, under Privacy Act or under Access to Information Act ($5 fee).
Does anyone know? And what’s the difference?
Access to information Act.
I only received part of my file. They had pages saying irrelevant info. We just sent another request an in error I chose Privacy. They sent a letter informing this was wrong-so we have now requested all medical information as they did not include or send back to us the 500 pages of medical files
The Privacy Act. The Privacy Act relates to an individual’s right to access and correct personal information the Government of Canada holds about them or the Government’s collection, use and disclosure of their personal information in the course of providing services (e.g., old age pensions or employment insurance).May 15, 2014
Access to information
The Access to Information Act gives Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or any person or corporation present in Canada a right to access information that is contained in government records. The Act is intended to complement existing procedures for access to government information.
Requests for records under the control of the Government of Canada should be submitted under the Access to Information Act .
Privacy
The Privacy Act gives Canadians the right to access personal information held by the government and protection of that information against unauthorized use and disclosure.
Requests to access your personal information under the control of the Government of Canada should be submitted under the Privacy Act .
I requested my disability tax credit case file online as per Privacy Act and asked them to send everything electronically to my email.
When I called CRA they told me to use Privacy Act and it is free of charge.
Request for a copy of your file is not as per Privacy Act but as per Access to Information Act and you have to pay $5, is it?
So how do you pay the fee when you request online?
If you have online banking then you can pay by interac online. That is how I did it.
From an email my spouse received: This is in reference to your request submitted under the Access to Information Act, received at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) on July 21, 2017, and which reads as follows:
“Application for CPP Disability and all related documents from March 2017-July 15 2017 for myself.”
In order for ESDC to be able to process your request, your Social Insurance Number (SIN) is required for identification purposes. ESDC has a responsibility to ensure that personal information is provided to the right individual and your SIN will enable us to validate the data.
Your file will be put in abeyance for 30 working days, starting from the date of this email. If you do not provide the missing information within this delay, your file will be closed. Please refer to the file number above in any future correspondence. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
I asked for mailed copies-but that is because my husband is in litigation and we need the documents for court
How long did it take to get the copy of your files?
A little longer due to not including our SIN. Received in mail August 31. Requested July 21
Oh, that’s long. Well, 30 days is a norm for records.
1 Like