National fraud initiative

To help keep public money safe, we take part in national efforts to spot and prevent fraud. Here’s a quick summary of how your information may be used as part of this work.

Why do we do this?

We have a legal duty to protect public money. To help prevent and detect fraud, we sometimes share information you give us with other public bodies.

What is data matching?

The Cabinet Office runs checks called “data matching.” This means they compare computer records from different public bodies to spot anything unusual.

  • If something doesn’t match up, it could mean there’s a mistake, an error, or possibly fraud.
  • Just because there’s a match doesn’t mean there’s fraud—it just means we need to look into it further.

How does this affect you?

We take part in the National Fraud Initiative, which is a national data matching exercise. We are required by law to provide certain data for these checks.

Is this allowed?

Yes. The Cabinet Office is allowed to do this under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. They do not need your permission to use your data for these checks, but they must follow strict rules and a code of practice.

Want more information?

You can find out more about the Cabinet Office’s legal powers and why they match data on their website.

Contact for questions:

 

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