Why does UCAS need job title of highest household earner?

[arjybarjy]

I can understand why UCAS might want some broad details about parents' profession and salary, for equalities monitoring, but why do they ask for the exact job title? Many job titles are unique to the individual, so they are very identifying.

I've recommended that my DC chooses "Prefer not to say" or "Don't Know".

I am more concerned about 17 year olds signing up to student loans with financial implications for 40 years! Unless your mother is head of MI6 I doubt even if the teenager messes it up and puts Doctor - Leeds Hospital rather than just doctor much harm is done as most parents' jobs are known - eg many parents have a linked in profile so it is not really a state secret what their job is and UCAS just want the basic job so they can see what type of people are applying. Eg my children would l have put solicitor (but name of firm) for my job

I think it's obvious that only a subset of people will be concerned about their own data, and others may choose not to care, but either way, it's reasonable to question the principle of collecting third-party personal information from young people without requiring the third party's explicit permission.

Still no answer from the UCAS Data Protection team - I expect they are drowning in FoI requests and will get to it.

Jaffa cakes are cakes not biscuits.

Yes. That was the joke.