Top Class Actions  |  February 19, 2021

Category: Data Breach

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Do You Qualify to Join the Watford Community Housing Group Action?

Several U.K. law firms seeking to represent claimants in a potential group litigation over a 2020 Watford Community Housing data breach. Read below to see if you qualify and learn how to file a claim.

What is This Claim About?

Watford Community Housing is facing a potential group action from tenants whose personal information may have been compromised in a 2020 email.

A March 2020 email from the housing association informing tenants of service changes due to the pandemic included spreadsheet containing the personal information of the trust’s 3,545 tenants. The spreadsheet included information such as full names, physical and email addresses, mobile numbers, and sexual orientation.

Who’s Eligible?

You may qualify to join the Watford Community Housing data breach claim if you:

  • Received a Watford Community Housing email on or around 23 March 2020 informing you that your personal data was exposed in the data breach.

How Much Compensation Will I Receive?

If the case is successful, qualified Class Members will receive compensation for Watford Community Housing’s loss of control over their personal data.
Each Class Member’s payout will be determined by the Court.

How Do I Join?

Contact one of the following law firms to find out whether you are eligible to make a claim:

More firms may be added as the case progresses.

A red open envelope icon appears between two closed envelop icons on a screen - watford community housing

 

U.K. law firms are seeking Watford Community Housing tenants whose personal information may have been compromised in a 2020 email.

Watford Community Housing Trust sent an email in March 2020 to inform tenants of service changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Watford Observer.

However, a spreadsheet containing the personal information of the trust’s 3,545 tenants was attached to that email, the Watford Observer reported. The spreadsheet included information such as full names, physical and email addresses, mobile numbers, and sexual orientation.

At the time, Watford Community Housing chief executive Tina Barnard apologized for the breach and said the incident was “human error,” according to the Observer.

A yellow computer keyboard key shows a black email icon - watford community housing

Barnard said the trust had informed the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) of the breach and was taking steps to ensure a similar incident wouldn’t happen again.

The housing association later emailed everyone an apology and requested that they delete the email containing the spreadsheet, the Observer reported.

Watford Community Housing owns and manages more than 5,000 homes in South West Hertfordshire, according to its website. The housing association’s main focus is on providing homes for lower-income residents.

In August 2020, the Observer reported some of the tenants may have become victims of fraud and faced other challenges as a result of their information being exposed.

An attorney representing one of the tenants said his client had their identity stolen — a bank account and credit card had been opened in her name, according to the Observer. She also had her email account compromised.

Other tenants claim they had to move to a different home with the help of U.K. authorities.

According to Fletchers Data Claims, one of the firms representing clients in the group action, most claimants affected by the breach may be eligible to receive a settlement of £750 to £1,000.

Watford Community Housing has established an FAQ page to provide additional information about the breach.

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