Fraud initiative

We take our responsibility to protect public funds very seriously. In order to prevent and detect fraud we may share information provided to us with other bodies responsible for auditing public funds.

To help us prevent and detect fraud, last year we took part in the Audit Commission's National Fraud Initiative data matching exercise. 

Data matching involves comparing records held by different organisations to see how closely they match. The data is usually personal information. Data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. If a match is found an investigated is launched to see whether any fraud has been committed.

The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) encourages housing associations to participate in the initiative. It recognises the scheme as an important tool in countering fraud and the misuse of assets and funds. The use of data by the Audit Commission 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 on the Audit Commission website.