National Fraud Initiative: public-sector data specifications
This guide sets out the dataset specifications for the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) 2026 to 2027 national exercise and NFI council tax single person discount 2026 to 2027 and 2027 to 2028 exercises.
Please note that data should:
- be extracted according to the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) timetables
- only be submitted through the secure NFI web application
- be password-protected once extracted from the relevant systems
- unless otherwise stated, do not include minors’ data.
Before submitting data, you must read the guidance on uploading data and the pre-upload checks you should carry out to ensure you are providing the best possible data.
The upload process automatically maps the fields in the file you are uploading by field name recognition. However, if there is no header row containing field names within the extracted data, the person uploading data will be required to manually map each field to the appropriate field on the data file upload screen. Therefore, it’s advisable to include field names in the header row within the data extract, if possible.
To find out who should supply data, refer to the data requirements guide.
Data specifications detailing the exact data we process for National Fraud Initiative pilots can be found at National Fraud Initiative: Pilot Data Specification
Read more about uploading data to the NFI.
Changes for the 2026 to 2027 exercise
The NFI reviews data specifications before each exercise. Although changes have been kept to a minimum, some are necessary to improve the matching process and the quality of matches.
Trade creditors’ data specifications
Trade creditors’ standing data should:
- be a snapshot of trade creditors current at the date of extraction
- exclude dormant or suspended creditors
- cover the period given in the data specification
Personal budgets data specification
Data should:
- relate to personal budget payments paid as direct payments to those applicants over 18 years of age only
- include only current recipients
- have one single record for each recipient
Pensions data specification
Data should be uploaded in 3 separate files:
- current pensioners (those currently receiving a pension)
- pensioners receiving a pension gratuity (if applicable)
- deferred pensioners not currently in payment (optional)
Payroll data specification
Payroll data should be provided following this data specification.
Licences data specification
Market trader and personal licence for the supply of alcohol data are no longer mandatory datasets. However, these datasets can be provided on a voluntary basis.
Housing data specifications
Housing waiting list
The following housing waiting list data is required.
Housing tenants
The housing data that should be uploaded includes:
- current named tenants, including those where a right to buy purchase is in progress
- former tenants who completed a right-to-buy application during the period stated in the data specification
Electoral Register data specification
Electoral Register data should be submitted annually for the NFI mandatory single-person discount (SPD) fraud matching. Refer to the council tax single person discount timetable.
The data should:
- be the ‘full version’ of the Electoral Register (not the commercially available ‘edited version’)
- relate to the appropriate registration exercise
- include the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) field in your submission if it is fully or partially populated
- be extracted and submitted after the Register is formally published
Council Tax data specification
Council Tax (CT) data should be submitted annually for the NFI mandatory single-person discount (SPD) fraud matching. Once both CT and ER data are uploaded, the NFI can generate your SPD matches (unless you encounter data issues that we need to resolve). You will not need to wait for all councils to submit their data.
View the NFI council tax single person discount timetable. Please note that you are required to password-protect each dataset once extracted from the relevant systems.
To find out who should supply council tax data, view the data requirements.
The data should:
- include a date of birth if it is captured on your system, but we accept that this is not routinely stored.
- include surname and forename fields even if they are not fully populated, as they must be mapped for the upload to be accepted. If your CT system also includes an aggregated field that holds all name details, this data should also be provided so it can be mapped to the ‘Full name’ field.
- include the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) field in your submission if it is populated or partially populated
- only be current/live accounts
- relate to all CT accounts, whether or not there is a discount or exemption (i.e., it should cover every domestic property where CT applies)
Transport passes and permits data specification
The Blue Badge Digital Service (BBDS) will upload data on behalf of the local authorities that have opted for this service. Please check whether you have opted in with your Blue Badge teams. If you do not use the BBDS service, then you will need to extract and upload the data locally.
Please upload data in 3 separate files:
- current holders of a resident’s parking permit
- current holders of a blue badge (including local schemes)
- current holders of a concessionary travel pass (e.g., a Freedom pass)
Private supported care home residents’ data specification
All data should relate to current care home residents, at the date of extract, who are receiving all or part of their funding from the Local Authority.
Council Tax Reduction Scheme data specification
Data should be provided in accordance with the Council Tax Reduction scheme data specification.
Business Rates data specifications
Business Rates data should be provided following this data specification, for FraudHub only