The Audit Commission - National Fraud Initiative

We are participating in an exercise to promote the proper spending of public money.

The Audit Commission is co-ordinating an anti fraud initiative and we are providing details about our tenants so that this information can be compared to information provided to other public bodies.

It is also responsible for carrying out data matching exercises.

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 that requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is a fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.

We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Audit Commission for matching for each exercise, and these are set out in the Audit Commissions guidance, which can be found at www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nfi

The use of data by the audit commission in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under its powers in 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 Audit Commission is subject to a code of practice. This may be found at www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nfi/codeofdmp.asp

For further information on the Audit Commissions legal powers and the reasons
why it matches particular information, see
www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nfi/fptext.asp for further information on data matching at this authority contact Jim Bruckel on 01935 404640.