National Fraud Initiative
We are required by law to protect
the public funds we administer. We may share information provided
to us with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering
public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.
In October 2014, as part of the National Fraud Initiative, we sent a number of data sets to the Audit Commission (now replaced by the Cabinet Office) to match data and
detect possible fraud across a wide range of public bodies.
What is the role of the Cabinet Office?
The Cabinet Office appoints the auditor to
audit our accounts. It is also responsible for
carrying out data matching exercises.
What is data matching?
Data matching involves comparing computer
records held by one body against other computer records held by the
same or another body to see how far they match. This is usually
personal information.
Computerised data matching allows potentially
fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is
found it indicates that there is an inconsistency which requires
further investigation.
No assumption can be made as to whether there
is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is
carried out.
Why do we
give data to the Cabinet Office?
The Cabinet Office currently requires us to
participate in a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention
and detection of fraud.
We are required to provide particular sets of
data for matching for each exercise, and
these are set out on the Gov.uk website.
The use of data by the Cabinet Office in a
data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under its powers in Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. Previous exercises were carried out by the Audit Commission under Part 2A of the Audit Commission Act 1998.
It does not require the consent of the
individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998.
Data matching by the Cabinet Office is
subject to a code of practice.
More information
For further details on the National Fraud Initiative, please visit the Gov.uk website.
For more information on data matching at the council, please contact:
Elaine Hopkins, Corporate Anti Fraud
Manager
Telephone: 01442 228291
