Data matching 110-09000000

This document outlines data matching undertaken by Services Australia. Data matching involves bringing together data from different sources and comparing it.

Government intent

Services Australia is responsible for ensuring public money is paid correctly through the various programs it administers. The agency's risk-based compliance approach uses data from a variety of internal and external sources and combines it where appropriate to allow a holistic intervention with the customer at risk of incorrect payment.

Types of Data matching

Centrelink undertakes data matching which involves the use Centrelink customer records and matching internal data, or externally with data from other agencies or third parties. This is undertaken in accordance with the voluntary Guidelines on Data Matching in Australian Government Administration issued by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Background to data matching

Up until the 1980s, government agencies relied on local knowledge and public assistance to identify incorrect payments to recipients of government assistance. Government agencies began using computer-based data matching in the early 1980s to detect incorrect payments. In the 1990-91 Budget, the government announced new measures to detect incorrect payments in the income support system. They included:

the requirement for most people claiming government assistance to provide tax file numbers (TFNs) as a prerequisite for payment, and
increased computerised matching of data held by various Commonwealth agencies

Purpose of data matching

The main objectives of data matching is to:

detect customers who may be receiving incorrect payments
verify the accuracy of customers' incomes declared to agencies which make income support payments
encourage voluntary compliance - this includes deterring people from attempting to claim payments to which they are not entitled, the voluntary surrender of payments to which people may not be entitled and the voluntary disclosure of changes in circumstances which affect rates of payment
identify debts to the Commonwealth which may be recovered from a payment from another agency
improve the integrity of agency records
detect instances of tax evasion

Impact on customer

As a result of conducting data matching interventions, a decision can be made for the customer whether:

to stop payments to those people who are no longer qualified
to reduce or increase payments to the correct rate
to raise a debt for any past payments that were received when not entitled
to provide assistance to people who may be entitled to another type of allowance/pension/payment

Information for Service Delivery and Smart Centres about Compliance Intervention Processes

Accelerated Claimant Matching (ACM) System

Customer Identity Matching for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs data exchange

Earned Income Intervention (EII)

Electronic Data Exchange with Financial Institutions tool

Qualification Interventions

Online Search (OLS) facility

Prioritising interventions

Study Load Interventions

Unearned Income Intervention (UII)

Using the Integrated Review System (IRS)