National Fraud Initiative

How we share information to prevent and detect fraud.

We are required by law to protect the public funds we administer. This means we can share information provided to us with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds to prevent and detect fraud. The Cabinet Office is responsible for carrying out data matching exercises.

What is data matching?

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.

We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Minister for the Cabinet Office for data matching for each exercise outlined in the Cabinet Office's guidance.

Legal gateway

The use of data by the Cabinet Office in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Data matching by the Cabinet Office is subject to a code of practice.

Find out more

Further information on the National Fraud Initiative is available on the government's website.

Contact

Report fraud

Telephone:

For all types of fraud apart from Housing Benefit: 0800 085 0119

Email:

For all types of fraud except Housing Benefit: reportfraud@lewisham.gov.uk

Published on: 28/08/2019