How do I check my credit report and correct a mistake on it?

There is no single UK credit file. Three agencies hold separate records, lenders report to some and not others, and an error can sit on one for years without appearing on another. Checking all three is the only way to see what a lender might see, and it is free.

Step by step

1. Get your report from all three agencies.Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Each offers free access to the statutory data, and various free services provide ongoing access. You do not need to pay.
2. Check your personal details first.Name spelling, date of birth and the address history. A missing or wrong address is a very common reason applications fail identity checks.
3. Check you are on the electoral roll.It is used to verify identity and address. If it is missing, register on GOV.UK — it is free and it resolves a large share of unexplained refusals.
4. Go through every account.Balances, limits, opening dates, and whether the payment history is accurate. Look for accounts you do not recognise and for accounts you closed that still show open.
5. Check defaults and their dates.A default date determines when the entry drops off. A default recorded later than it should have been keeps the mark on your file longer than it should.
6. Check financial associations.Joint accounts create links to other people. If a link is to an ex-partner and the joint account is closed, ask for a notice of disassociation.
7. Check searches.Hard searches from applications you made are normal. Searches from companies you have never dealt with are worth querying — they can indicate an application in your name.
8. Dispute errors with the agency and the lender.The agency raises it with the data supplier, who has a period to respond. Contacting the lender directly in parallel is usually faster.
9. Add a notice of correction where the entry is accurate.A short statement explaining the circumstances, added to the file. Lenders using automated decisions may not read it, but it can help where a human reviews the case.
10. Escalate if the dispute is rejected.Complain to the lender, then the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Information Commissioner's Office deals with data accuracy complaints about the agencies themselves.

Tips

• Check all three agencies. An error visible on one and not the others is common, and lenders do not all use the same one.
• The default date matters more than the default itself, because it fixes when the record drops off. Check it carefully.
• Freeze or lock your report where the agency offers it, if you are not applying for credit. It is a useful defence against applications in your name.

Common mistakes

• Paying for a credit score — The statutory data is free from all three agencies, and the score itself is an agency invention rather than something lenders use directly.
• Believing a company that offers to remove accurate entries — Accurate data cannot legitimately be removed. Any firm offering it is either doing something you could do free or something that does not work.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask