Using local data matching for verification purposes

Local data matching can provide you with further information which you can use to make a determination as to whether to allow a new application. 

You must disclose the details of an application to the IER Digital Service upon receipt,1 and you should not carry out any local data matching for the purposes of verifying an applicant’s identity until you have received and considered DWP match results. 

You can use local data matching to verify applicants whose personal identifiers fail to be matched against DWP records.

You can also use local data to verify an applicant's identity where an applicant has been unable to provide a National Insurance number, provided that the reason given for not providing a National Insurance number is valid. 

Matching against local data allows you to use data sources available to you2 to verify that the person making the application is the person they claim to be. If you do not normally carry out local data-matching for verification purposes, this option should only be used if you are satisfied that the data sources available to you can satisfy the requirements of the task.