Fraud
The Audit Commission is the leading body working with local government to combat fraud and corruption.
We support local government in the following ways:
National Fraud Initiative (NFI)
The National Fraud Initiative collects data from local government and various other public and private sources.
By comparing the data held (known as matching) we can identify possible cases of fraud and pass them to local government for investigation
Fraud and corruption survey and reporting
We conduct an annual survey on detected fraud and corruption and counter fraud arrangements in local government.
Local government's external auditors also need to report to the Commission all fraud of £10,000 and over and all incidents of corruption.
Protecting the Public Purse (PPP) reports
Each year we publish a Protecting the Public Purse report on fraud in local government.
PPP gives details on amounts of detected fraud, warns of fraud risks and promotes best practice.
Changing Organisational Cultures (COC) and fraud briefings
COC helps organisations develop antifraud cultures by use of surveys and workshops.
Fraud briefings help councils know how well they are doing by comparing their amounts of detected fraud and counter fraud measures with other councils.
Single Person Discount on Council Tax: Predictor Tool (SPD predictor)
The SPD predictor tool allows people to see what their council's SPD level is and compare it to other councils. Using data such as the age and social makeup of the people living in the council area we predict what the SPD level should be.
If levels of SPD are higher than predicted this could mean higher than normal levels of SPD fraud.
Fraud risks in parish and town councils and schools
We have produced two leaflets for use by parish and town councillors and school governors about the risks of fraud in their organisations.