DCSF Records Retention Schedules
Generic schedules have been prepared by The National Archives and adopted by DCSF (see below).
The purpose of a retention and disposal schedule is to……
- Make sure records are kept for as long as necessary, and no longer
- Identify records of long-term or historical value
- Provide standards and consistency across the Department
- Identify unnecessary duplication
- Promote efficient management, storage and control of records
- Encourage removal of paper records from office space and frees up computer space
The benefits of a retention and disposal schedule is to……
- Save space
- Save staff time
- Prompt action
- Provide measurable results
- Document the records the Department needs for administrative, legal, commercial and financial reasons
Model Retention Schedules.
Buildings Records - Project
Item / Description / Transfer to Central Records Store / Disposal1 / Specifications / Retain until 5 years after contract end / Review 25 years after compilation
2 / Bills of quantity / As above / Review 16 years after compilation
3 / Tender documents:
a) rejected / 2 years after rejection / Review 6 years after date of final paper
b) accepted / At project completion / Review 16 years after project completion
4 / Agreements with contractors and consultants / 2 years after date of late / Review 16 years after date of final paper
5 / Surveys and inspections
a) Reports – master set / 2 years after issue / Store
b) Reports – other copies / - / Destroy 2 years after issue
6 / Maintenance manuals / Retain in Store / Destroy when no longer required
7 / Standing instructions / Retain in store / Review 2 years after revision or cancellation
8 / Final accounts / 2 years after date of last paper / Review after 25 years
9 / Client Project Board minutes and papers
a) record set / 2 years after date of last paper / Review 25 years after date of last paper
b) all other copies / - / Destroy 5 years after date of last paper
10 / Tender and evaluation board papers / Retain in store until 3 years after contract end / Review 7 years after contract end
12 / Claim and arbitration files / Retain in store / Review 25 years after settlement
Buildings Records: Reports
Item / Description / Transfer to Central Records Store / Disposal1 / Architectural
a) Master copy / Retain in store / Review 25 years after issue
b) Other copies / - / Destroy 5 years after issue
2 / Structural engineering / Retain in store until superseded / Review 15 years after issue
3 / Mechanical and electrical engineering / Retain in store until superseded / Review 15 years after issue
4 / Drainage services / Retain in store until superseded / Review 15 years after issue
5 / Building condition surveys / Retain in store / Review 25 years after issue
6 / Quadrennial inspections / Retain in store / Review 25 years after issue
7 / Fire precautions and services / Retain in store until superseded / Review 10 years after issue
8 / Timber structures / Retain in store until superseded / Review 20 years after issue
9 / Archaeological features / Retain in store / Review 25 years after issue
10 / Financial and accounting / Retain in store for 7 years / Review 12 years after issue
11 / Asbestos inspections
(cf Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1992, SI 1992, No 3068) / Retain in store / Review 40 years after issue
12 / Conservation / Retain in store / Review 25 years after issue
(Historic and listed buildings)
13 / Other specialist reports not referred to above / Retain in store / Review 10 years after issue
Buildings Records: maps, plans & drawings
Item / Description / Transfer to Central Records Store / Disposal1 / Site surveys / Retain in store, until 16 years after compilation or 2 years after new drawings compiled / Review 25 years after compilation
2 / Measured surveys / Retain in store, until 16 years after compilation or 2 years after new drawings compiled / Review 25 years after compilation
3 / Archaeological records / Retain in store / Review 25 years after compilation
4 / Design drawings / Retain in store / Review 25 years after compilation
5 / Perspective drawings / Retain in store / Destroy 25 years after compilation
6 / Working copies of above / 3 years after superseded / Destroy 12 years after compilation
7 / Consultants’ and contractors’ drawings and associated records / 2 years after completion of project / Review 16 years after completion of project
8 / ‘As built’ or ‘as installed’ drawings / Retain in store / Review 15 years after settlement of contract
9 / Presentation records, including drawings, photographs, models, etc / - / Review 15 years after completion of project
10 / Competition drawings / 2 years after result announced / Review 10 years after result announced
11 / Feasibility studies, preliminary designs and other proposals not implemented / 2 years after decision taken / Review 25 years after decision taken
12 / Computer Aided Design (CAD) records / Retain in store / *
Buildings Records: maintenance records
Item / Description / Transfer to Central Records Store / Disposal1 / Maintenance schedules / Retain until superseded / Review 16 years after superseded
2 / Maintenance diaries or logs / 2 years after final entry / Destroy 16 years after final entry
3 / Installation surveys (plant and services) / Retain in store until subsequent survey / Review 16 after date of survey
4 / Incident reports / 2 years after action or, if a claim is made, 6 years after claim settled / Review 5 years after action or, if a claim is made, 6 years after claim settled
5 / Maintenance programme / Retain until superseded / Review 16 years after superseded
6 / Maintenance and operational manuals / Retain until equipment disposed of / When equipment disposed of, destroy or transfer to new owner
7 / Health and safety inspection reports / 5 years after issue / Review 12 years after issue
8 / Accident books / 1 year after date of last entry / Review 3 years after date of last entry
9 / Accident reports / 2 years after completion of action / Review 5 years after action or, if a claim is made, 6 years after claim settled
10 / Plant and equipment condition surveys / Retain in store until subsequent survey / Review 10 years after date of survey
11 / Maintenance contracts and related correspondence / 2 years after end of contract / Review 12 years after end of contract
12 / Meetings with contractors
a) agenda, minutes etc, record set
/ 2 years after meeting / Review 5 years after date of meeting
b) agenda, minutes etc, other copies / - / Destroy 6 years after date of meeting
c) drafts, domestic arrangements etc / - / Destroy 3 years after date of meeting
13 / Forward maintenance registers (FMR) / Retain in store / Review 16 years after date of last entry
14 / Asbestos registers (SI 1992, No 3068) / Retain in store / Review 40 years after date of last entry
15 / Asbestos incidents – correspondence, reports and papers / Retain in store until 40 years after date of event / Review 30 years after date of event
Buildings Records: legal documents
Item / Description / Transfer to Central Records Store / Disposal1 / Title deeds and other documents relating to freehold property * / Deposit in safe custody after completion / Transfer to new freeholder on disposal
2 / Leases (signed copies) / Deposit in safe custody after completion / Destroy 16 years after expiry
3 / Memoranda of terms / Deposit in safe custody after completion / Destroy 16 years after expiry
4 / Subletting agreements / Deposit in safe custody after completion / Destroy 12 years after termination
5 / Wayleave agreements / Deposit in safe custody after completion / Destroy 12 years after expiry or termination
6 / Landlords’ consents / Deposit in safe custody on issue / Destroy 16 years after surrender, expiry or termination of lease or memoranda of terms
7 / Licences / Deposit in safe custody on issue / Destroy 16 years after surrender, expiry or termination of lease
* not public records
8 / Schedules of known tenant alterations / Deposit in safe custody after completion / Destroy 16 years after surrender, expiry or termination of lease or memoranda of terms9 / Register of records and documents deposited in safe custody / Retain in store / Destroy 16 years after register ceases to be current
10 / Tests and statutory certificates / Retain in store until expiry or superseded / Destroy 12 years after expiry or superseded
11 / Fire certificates / Retain in store until expiry or superseded / Destroy 12 years after expiry or superseded
12 / Planning consents and correspondence
a) alterations to buildings / 10 years after issue / Review 25 years after issue
b) new buildings / Transfer to store 5 years after issue / Review 25 years after issue
13 / Listed buildings consents and correspondence / Transfer to store 5 years after issue / Review 25 years after issue
Buildings Records: correspondence, photos and miscellaneous
Item / Description / Transfer to Central Records Store / DisposalCorrespondence
1 / Consultants and contractors / 3 years after date of last paper / Review 16 years after date of last paper
2 / Statutory authorities / 3 years after date of last paper / Review 25 years after date of late paper
3 / Utility and communication companies / 5 years after date of last paper / Review 16 years after date of last paper
Photographic records
4 / Albums / 5 years after compilation / Review 10 years after compilation
5 / Catalogues of photographs / 5 years after compilation / Review 25 years after date of last entry
6 / Prints and negatives
a) site photographs / 3 years after event / Review 10 years after project or event
b) work in progress / 3 years after event / Review 16 years after project or event
c) completed works / 3 years after project / Review 25 years after project or event
d) publicity photographs / 2 years after event / Review 25 years after project or event
Miscellaneous
7 / Publicity literature (ceremonial, official openings, dedications, etc) / Immediately after event or publication / Review 5 years after event or publication
8 / Historical narratives / Retain in store / Review 25 years after issue
9 / Staff work diaries / 2 years after date of last entry / Review 5 years after date of last entry
10 / Any other records relating to buildings not otherwise referred to in the schedules / - / Review 5 years after date of issue, closure or action
Personnel Records
Document Description / Retention PeriodEMPLOYMENT AND CAREER
Written particulars of employment
Contracts of employment, including the Certificate of Qualification or its equivalent and including the Senior Civil Service. Changes to terms and conditions, including change of hours letters / Until age 72
Job History - consolidated record of whole career and location details (paper or electronic) / Until age 72
Current address details / 6 years after employment has ended
Record of location of overseas service / Until age 72
Variation of hours - calculation formula for individual / Destroy after use
Promotion, temporary promotion and/or substitution documentation / Destroy after summary noted
Working Time Directive opt out forms / 3 years after the opt-out has been rescinded or has ceased to apply
Record of previous service dates / Until age 72
Previous service supporting papers / Destroy after records noted as appropriate
Qualifications/references / 6 years
Transfer documents (OCD E18) / Destroy after summary noted and actioned
Annual/Assessment reports / 5 years
Annual/Assessment reports for the last 5 years of service / Until age 72
Training history / 6 years
Travel and subsistence - claims and authorisation / 6 years
Annual leave records (dependent on departmental practice) / 2 years
Flexi-time records / 6 months
Job applications – internal / 1 year
Recruitment, appointment and/or promotion board selection papers / 1 year
Building society references / 6 months
HEALTH
Health Declaration / Until age 72
Health referrals, including medical reports from doctors and consultants, correspondence with the appointed medical adviser to the PCSPS (currently BMI Health Services and, previous to that body, the Occupational Health and Safety Agency Ltd, the Civil Service Occupational Health Service or the Medical Advisory Service (MAS)) / Until age 72
Papers relating to any injury on duty / Until age 72
Medical reports of those exposed to a substance hazardous to health, including:
Lead (Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1980)Asbestos
(Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1996)
Compressed Air (Work in Compressed Air Regulations 1996)
Radiation (Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985) / 40 years from date at which entry was made
40 years after last record
40 years from date of last entry
50 years from date of last entry
Medical/Self Certificates - unrelated to industrial injury / 4 years
PAY AND PENSION
Bank details – current / 6 years after employment has ended
Death Benefit Nomination and Revocation Forms / Until age 72
Death certificates / Return original to provider. Retain copy until age 72
Decree Absolutes / Return original to provider. Retain copy until age 72
Housing advance / 6 years after repayment
Marriage certificate / Return original to provider. Retain copy until age 72
Unpaid leave periods (maternity leave etc) / Until age 72
Statutory maternity pay documents / 6 years
Other maternity pay documentation / 18 months
Overpayment documentation / 6 years after repayment or write-off
Personal payroll history, including record of pay, performance pay, overtime pay, allowances, pay enhancements, other taxable allowances, payment for untaken leave, reduced pay, no pay, maternity leave / Until age 72
Pensions estimates and awards / Until age 72
Record of:
- Full name and date of birth
- National Insurance number
- Pensionable pay at leaving
- Reckonable service for pension purposes (and actual service where this is different, together with reasons for the difference)
- Reason for leaving and new employer’s name (where known)
- Amount and destination of any transfer value paid
- Amount of any refund of PCSPS contributions
- All other papers relating to pensionability not listed above (eg papers about pensionability of other employment (including war service); extension of service papers; papers about widow's, widower's, children's and other dependant's pensions; correspondence with the Cabinet Office, other departments and pension administrators, or the officer and his/her representatives (MPs, unions or others) about pension matters
Resignation, termination and/or retirement letters / Until age 72
Added years / Until age 72
Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) / Until age 72
Payroll input forms / 6 years
Bonus nominations / 6 years
Complete sick absence record showing dates and causes of sick leave / Until age 72
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) forms / For last 4 to 6 years
Papers relating to disciplinary action which has resulted in any changes to terms and conditions of service, salary, performance pay or allowances / Until age 72
Authorisation for deputising, substitution allowance and/or overtime/travel time claim / 6 years
Advances for:
- Season tickets
- Car parking
- Bicycles
- Christmas/holidays
- Housing
PERSONAL
Welfare papers / Destroy after minimum of 6 years after last action
SECURITY
Security personnel files / 5 years after leaving (if at normal retirement age) or 10 years after leaving (if before normal retirement age)
BANK ACCOUNT RECORDS
Cheques and associated records / 1. cheque book/butts for all accounts / 2 years2. cancelled cheques / 2 years
3. dishonoured cheques / 2 years
dishonoured cheques register
4. fresh cheques / 6 years
5. paid cheques/presented cheques; lists, statements of presented cheques / 6 years
6. stoppage of cheque payment notices / 2 years
7. record of cheques opened books / 2 years
8. cheque registers / 2 years
9. record of cheques drawn for payment / 6 years
Bank deposits / 10. bank deposit books/slips/butts / 2 years
11. bank deposit summary sheets, summaries of daily banking, cheques schedules / 2 years
12. register of cheques lodged for collection / 2 years
Bank re-conciliations / 13. reconciliation files/sheets / 2 years
14. daily list of paid cheques / 2 years
15. unpaid cheque records / 2 years
Bank statements / 16. bank statements, periodic reconciliations / 2 years
17. bank certificates of balance / 2 years
Electronic banking and
electronic funds transfer / cash transactions, payment instructions, deposits
and withdrawals / disposal action should be in line with that for paperrecords
audit trails / retain for the same period as the base transaction record
EXPENDITURE RECORDS
Cash books/sheets / 18. expenditure sheets / 6 years19. cash books/sheets / 6 years
Petty cash records / 20. petty cash records/books/sheets / 2 years
21. petty cash receipts / 2 years
22. postal cash book/sheets, postage/courier account/cash records, register of
postageexpenditure, postage paid records, postage books/sheets / 2 years
23. summary cash books
Creditors / 24. creditors history records, lists/reports / 6 years
Statements / 25. statements of accounts outstanding, outstanding orders / 2 years
26. statements of accounts - rendered; statements of accounts – payable / 2 years
Subsidiary records / 27. copies of abstracts and expenditure dissections / 1 year
28. credit note books / 2 years
29. credit notes / 2 years
30. debit note books / 2 years
Vouchers / 31. vouchers - includes claims for payment, purchase orders, requisitions for goods
and services,accounts payable invoices, invoices received, etc. / 6 years
32. wages/salaries vouchers / 6 years
Copies of vouchers / 33. copies of vouchers (not the main accountable copy) / 1 year
34. copies of wages/salaries vouchers / 6 years
Voucher registers / 35. voucher registers / 2 years
EXPENDITURE RECORDS – contd
Voucher registration cards / 36. voucher registration cards voucher payments cards / 6 yearsVoucher summaries / 37. voucher summaries / 1 year
38. advice/schedule of vouchers despatched, delivery advices / 1 year
Costing records / 39. cost cards / 2 years
40. costing records, dissection sheets, etc. / 2 years
LEDGER RECORDS
General and subsidiary ledgers / 41. general and subsidiary ledgers produced for the purposes of preparing certifiedfinancial statements or published information / 6 years
42. other ledgers(e.g. contracts, costs, purchases, etc) / 2 years
43. creditors ledgers / 6 years
Related records / 44. audit sheets - ledger postings / 2 years
Journals / 45. journals (prime records for the raising of charges) / 6 years
46. journals (routine adjustments) / 2 years
Trial balances & reconciliations / 47. year-end balances, reconciliations and variations to support ledger balances
and publishedaccounts / 6 years
RECEIPTS AND REVENUE RECORDS
Books/butts / 48. receipt butts/books; office copies of receipts; - includes cashiers’, cash register,fines andcosts, sale of publications and general receipt books/butts/records / 6 years
49. postal remittance books/records / 6 years
50. receipt books/records for imposts (eg stamp duty and VAT receipt
books/records / 6 years
51. irregular remittance books / 2 years
Cash registers / 52. butts/copies of cash register forms / 6 years
Copies of forms / 53. cash register reconciliation sheets / 6 years
Rolls / 54. cash register audit rolls / 2 years
Summaries/analysis records / 55. cash register analysis and summary records / 2 years
56. cash register reading books/sheets / 2 years
Cashiers’ records / 57. cashiers’ handover books / 2 years
Revenue records / 58. revenue cash books/sheets/records; receipt cash books/sheets / 6 years
59. daily revenue dissections / 1 year
60. periodical revenue dissections / 1 year
Debtors records/ invoices / 61. copies of invoices/debit notes rendered on debtors - includes invoices paid and
invoicesunpaid and registers of invoices - debtors ledgers / 6 years
62. source documents/records used for raising of invoices/debit notes / 6 years
63. copies of invoices and copies of source documents / 2 years
Debts/refunds / 64. records relating to unrecoverable revenue, debts and overpayments - includes
register ofdebts written off, register of refunds, etc / 6 years
SALARIES AND RELATED RECORDS