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We are taking part in a data matching exercise that the Audit Commission runs each year to make sure that public money is spent properly and to find out where people may be committing fraud. This could be things like renting one of our homes, but sub-letting it to another person, or claiming benefits that you are not entitled to.
This means that we will be sending information about all our tenants to the Audit Commission to help prevent and detect fraud. The information that we have to send is:
- Name
- Address
- Postcode
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number
- Tenancy account number
- Housing benefit reference number
- Whether you have bought or are buying your home under the “right to buy”
- When your tenancy with us started.
We do not need your permission under the Data Protection Act 1998 to do this.
The Audit Commission will compare our computer records to records held by other organisations (for example, local councils) to see how far they match. They will send us and the other organisations a report, so that we can investigate any inconsistencies to work out whether it is an error, fraud, or there is another explanation.
The Audit Commission has the power to do this under Part 2a of the Audit Commission Act 1998. They have a code of practice, which sets out how they will go about this exercise, which you can find on the internet at:
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nfi/pages/codeofdatamatchingpractice.aspx
For more information, please contact Chris Haines, Head of Neighbourhood Services on 01249 466124.
