The council is required by law to keep an eye on the way public money is spent in Warrington. To prevent and detect any fraud, we may share information with other authorities. The Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd appoints an auditor to check the council’s records, and is also responsible for data matching.
What is data matching?
Data matching involves comparing one set of computer records against another. This is usually personal information which you may have provided us with when you contacted us, for example, to arrange your council tax payments. Personal information may include names and addresses, National Insurance numbers, dates of birth, etc.
Potentially fraudulent claims and payments are easily identified when an inconsistency is found during the data matching process. An investigation then begins to find out whether there has been an error, whether there is another explanation, or whether fraud has been committed.
What the council must do
To allow the Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd to undertake data matching, we have to provide them with data, including information related to:
- Council tax
- Benefit claims
- The electoral register
- Transport passes and permits
- Licences
- Personal budgets (direct payments)