Data Matching
Huntingdonshire District Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It 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 an external 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 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 and 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’s handbooks, which can be found on the link to the right.
Data matching by the Audit Commission is subject to a Code of practice. This may be found on the link to the right.
For further information on the audit commission’s legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information, see the Level 3 Notice on the Audit Commissions website link on the right, or contact Peter Yetzes, Head of NFI on 0844 798 2222 or use the email address on the right. Huntingdonshire District Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It 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 an external 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 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 and 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’s handbooks, which can be found on the link to the right.
Data matching by the Audit Commission is subject to a Code of practice. This may be found on the link to the right.
For further information on the audit commission’s legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information, see the Level 3 Notice on the Audit Commissions website link on the right, or contact Peter Yetzes, Head of NFI on 0844 798 2222 or use the email address on the right.