Can I use FOI to get my own HR file?
Usually the relevant route for your own personal information is a SAR, not FOI. If a public authority also holds wider non-personal recorded information you want, a separate FOI or EIR request may be appropriate.
Do I need to write “subject access request”?
No. The ICO confirms there is no prescribed wording. The request simply needs to make clear that you are asking for your own personal information.
Is FOI always 20 calendar days?
No. The ordinary FOI limit is generally 20 working days, not calendar days, and special rules can apply. Use the ConsumerWise FOI deadline guide and calculator for the relevant route.
Can an organisation extend every SAR by two months?
No. The possibility of an extension is not automatic. The current ICO guidance explains the circumstances in which complex or multiple requests can justify extra time, and the organisation must tell the requester appropriately.
Who deals with complaints?
The Information Commissioner’s Office regulates data protection, FOI and EIR in the UK, but the escalation path differs between regimes. FOI/EIR normally involves the authority’s internal review route first; data-rights complaints should first be raised with the controller.
Does making a SAR or FOI request pause another deadline?
Normally no. Complaint, ombudsman, tribunal, court and statutory-appeal deadlines can continue while access requests are outstanding. If the evidence is needed urgently for another process, say so, but protect the other deadline independently.
Will the ICO award me compensation?
The ICO regulates compliance and handles eligible complaints; it is not the ordinary court for awarding damages to an individual. A data-protection compensation claim may require settlement or court proceedings. An ICO finding can be relevant evidence, but the remedy routes are distinct.
What if they say they cannot find anything?
“Not held” is different from “exempt”. If you have evidence suggesting records existed, identify it and ask what searches were performed. For a SAR, challenge the reasonableness of the search through the organisation’s data-protection complaint route. For FOI/EIR, use internal review and then the relevant information commissioner.
Can a public authority extend every FOI request to 40 working days?
No. The ordinary FOIA long-stop is 20 working days. A reasonable extension can apply where a qualified exemption requires more time for the public-interest test, and ICO guidance says 40 working days total should normally be the upper position. EIR has a different 40-working-day extension for requests that are both voluminous and complex.
Does “one month” mean 30 days for a SAR?
No. UK GDPR time limits use calendar-month rules rather than a fixed 30-day period. The precise deadline can depend on the date received and whether valid clarification or identity steps affect the clock. Keep the acknowledgement and calculate the deadline from the actual request history rather than assuming 30 days.
Can I use FOI to obtain my own personal data?
Usually your own personal data is dealt with under data-protection law rather than disclosed to you under FOI. FOI can still be useful for the surrounding non-personal information: policies, statistics, guidance or decision frameworks. Public authorities should apply the correct regime to the information requested.
Can I ask for “all information about me”?
Yes, that can amount to a valid SAR, but a more targeted request can be easier to search and less likely to generate avoidable clarification. If you know the relevant account, date range, teams or categories: emails, notes, recordings, audit logs: identify them. You do not have to use the words “subject access request” if it is clear you are asking for your personal data.
Official sources
Check the current source material.
ConsumerWise provides general information rather than individual legal advice. Check current rules, dates and eligibility against the official source before acting.