(1)The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision authorising the Secretary of State, or a person providing services to the Secretary of State, to supply relevant persons with social security information about persons in receipt of state pension credit.
(2)In this section “relevant person” means—
(a)a person who holds a licence under section 6(1)(d) of the Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29) or section 7A(1) of the Gas Act 1986 (c. 44) (supply of electricity or gas to premises), or
(b)a person providing services to the Secretary of State or to a person within paragraph (a).
(3)Regulations under this section must specify the purposes for which information may be supplied by virtue of subsection (1), which must be purposes in connection with enabling the provision of assistance to persons in receipt of state pension credit.
(4)Regulations under this section may authorise the supply of information by a relevant person to the Secretary of State or another relevant person—
(a)for the purpose of determining what information is to be supplied by virtue of subsection (1), or
(b)to enable information supplied to a relevant person by virtue of subsection (1) to be used by that or another relevant person for purposes within subsection (3).
(5)Regulations under this section may—
(a)make provision as to the use or disclosure of information supplied under the regulations (including provision creating criminal offences);
(b)provide for the recovery by the Secretary of State of costs incurred in connection with the supply or use of information under the regulations.
(6)In this section—
“social security information” means information held by or on behalf of the Secretary of State and obtained as a result of, or for the purpose of, the exercise of the Secretary of State’s functions in relation to social security;
“state pension credit” has the meaning given by section 1(1) of the State Pension Credit Act 2002 (c. 16).