Check and correct your credit file
Last checked: 19 Oct 2026
Your credit file is the record lenders check when you apply for credit. It's separate from the marketing data the same companies hold (see credit agencies' marketing services). MoneyHelper lists four UK credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion and Crediva. Each may hold different information, so it's worth checking all four.
Get your report free
By law, every agency has to give you your "statutory" credit report for free, and checking it doesn't affect your score (MoneyHelper). The ICO says you don't need to buy a monthly subscription: look for the words "statutory report".
| Agency | How |
|---|---|
| Experian | Online, or by post to Customer Support Centre, Experian Ltd, PO Box 8000, Nottingham NG80 7WF. Experian says the report usually takes up to 7 working days, and doesn't include its credit score. |
| Equifax | Online with a free Equifax Basic account, or a paper form to Equifax Ltd, Customer Service Centre, PO Box 10036, Leicester LE3 4FS. |
| TransUnion | Online from its consumer support page ("Your Free Credit Report"). |
| Crediva | Online form, or phone 0808 129 3210. Crediva's complaints are handled by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. |
If something's wrong
Contact the agency, or the lender that reported it. The ICO says lenders, phone companies and utilities own their entries, and agencies can't change them without that company's permission. While it's checked, the entry is marked as disputed and lenders shouldn't rely on it; MoneyHelper says this shouldn't take longer than 28 days.
- TransUnion: free, online through your statutory report, by phone on 0330 024 7574, or by post (TransUnion).
- Equifax: through its Online Helpline with a copy of your report, or by post. Equifax says the company that supplied the data has 21 days to respond (Equifax).
- Experian: through your Experian account or by contacting Experian. It says the supplier decides whether the entry changes (Experian).
Accurate information about missed payments usually stays for six years.
Add your side: a notice of correction
If an entry is accurate but misleading, for example a missed payment during an illness, you can add a statement of up to 200 words. This is a legal right under section 159 of the Consumer Credit Act: you ask the agency to correct or remove the entry, it has 28 days to reply, and you then have 28 days to ask it to add your notice. If it won't, you can apply to the UK's data protection regulator.
Experian says a notice doesn't change your score but may slow lenders down, and it can be refused if it's defamatory or unsuitable. You have to ask each agency separately. Equifax's own page about this was unavailable when we checked.
Break a financial link with an ex-partner
The ICO says you shouldn't be linked to someone just because you live at the same address, and that once a joint account closes you can ask the agency for a "disassociation". TransUnion says it can only do this once all joint accounts are closed. Experian says you can ask it to break the link.
The electoral register and your credit file
Credit agencies use the electoral register to confirm your address. Experian says registering to vote improves your credit score. If you opt out of the open register, GOV.UK says you still appear on the full register, which can be used for checking credit applications. We haven't found an official source that says outright whether opting out affects your score.
Refused credit?
Under section 157 of the Consumer Credit Act, a lender that turns you down because of an agency's information must tell you which agency. You can ask in writing within 28 days of the application ending.
If they won't fix it
You can complain to the ICO about an agency that won't correct an obvious mistake, though the ICO says it doesn't rule on financial disputes. For how a lender treated you, MoneyHelper points to the Financial Ombudsman Service. MoneyHelper also says most paid "credit repair" firms only help you do what you can do yourself for free.
Sources
- MoneyHelper: How to check your credit report
- MoneyHelper: How to improve your credit score
- ICO: Credit
- Experian: Statutory credit report
- Experian: Credit report disputes
- Experian: Notice of correction
- Experian: The electoral roll and your credit report
- Equifax: Statutory credit report
- TransUnion: Consumer support
- Crediva: FAQs
- Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 159
- Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 157
- GOV.UK: Opt out of the open register
This page describes your options and how organisations say they handle requests. It isn't legal advice. See About & sourcing to report a correction.