Thurrock Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. We may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.
The Audit Commission appoints the auditor to audit the accounts of this authority. 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. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it may indicate 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.
The Audit Commission 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 to the Audit Commission for matching for each exercise, and these are set out in the Audit Commission - National Fraud Initiative web pages.
On 8th October 2012 Thurrock Council will be sharing information from the following sets of data, with the Audit Commission, as part of the Initiative for 2012:
All information will be accessed on a strictly need to know basis and shared using a secure web application.
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 the Audit Commission - Code of data matching practice.
For further information on the Audit Commission's legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information, see Audit Commission - Fair processing notice.
For further information on data matching at Thurrock Council, please contact:
01375 652652
01375 652359
