Benefits file batch redaction is the removal of personal data from a whole folder of scheme files in one run. The underlying records are kept for auto-enrolment under the Pensions Act 2008 and the Employers' Duties (Registration and Compliance) Regs 2010, and must be held no longer than necessary under UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(e). anonym.plus processes up to 20 files at a time on your device, with a shared map so one worker maps to one alias everywhere.
When this applies
A scheme folder holds enrolment forms, benefit statements, and nominations naming the same people. One-by-one work risks drift — the same worker labelled three ways — so a batch run cleans the set evenly.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Point anonym.plus at the scheme folder on your machine.
- It scans each file for names, NI numbers, and account data.
- Local OCR reads any scanned pages in the set.
- A shared map keeps repeat workers steady across files.
- Review the summary and fix low-confidence flags.
- Save the clean set locally.
What you need to provide
- A folder of benefits files (PDF, DOCX, CSV, mixed).
- The shared label map turned on for steady results.
- An operator (Replace works well for a scheme folder).
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | worker across files → [EMPLOYEE_1] |
| NI number | UK_NINO | NI numbers → [NINO] |
| Health | MEDICAL_CONDITION | health notes → [CONDITION] |
| Financial | MONEY | pot values → [AMOUNT] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | birth dates → [DOB] |
| Account | UK_BANK_NUMBER | account numbers → [ACCOUNT] |
Compliance achieved
- Applies one standard across enrolment, statement, and nomination files kept under the Pensions Act 2008 and the Employers' Duties (Registration and Compliance) Regs 2010 — six years for most records, four for opt-out notices.
- Supports storage limitation under UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) and the record of processing activities each controller keeps under Art. 30.
- Helps justify retention against real claim windows: three months less a day for most tribunal claims (Equality Act 2010 s.123, ERA 1996 s.111) and six years for contract claims (Limitation Act 1980 s.5).
- Whole-folder work stays offline; the shared map keeps one worker steady across the set, and turning it off is what the UK GDPR Recital 26 bar requires.
Anonymise benefits file sets offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
A mixed folder of scans and native files leans on OCR for the images, so review low-confidence flags. The shared map can re-link the set if kept; turn it off when you need true anonymity under UK GDPR Recital 26. Redaction is not deletion: where a statutory retention period has expired, the file itself should go.
Frequently asked questions
How does batch mode keep one worker steady?
A shared map logs each person once, so the same worker maps to the same alias in every file across the folder — useful when a scheme set repeats the same names in three formats.
How long must benefits records be kept?
Auto-enrolment records run to six years under the Employers' Duties (Registration and Compliance) Regs 2010, with four years for opt-out notices. Beyond that, UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) requires you to justify what you still hold.
Does batch work upload anything?
No. The whole run is offline, so scheme data stays on your machine.