Notice of Correction

From Consumer Wiki

You have a legal right under the Data Protection Act 1998 and Consumer Credit Act 1974 to dispute the information held about you if you believe it is not correct.

The Credit Reference Agency can only consider your dispute if you write to them within 6 months of receiving your credit file. Most of the information they hold is updated on at least a monthly basis, therefore a credit file that is over 6 months old is likely to be out of date.

If your credit file is over 6 months old you must make a new application for your credit file to check the accuracy of the most up to date information we hold. When they send your credit file to you they will enclose a Statutory Rights document entitled "Schedule 1". This explains your legal rights in detail.

You can obtain your credit report by contacting Credit Reference Agencies

What is a Notice of Correction?

This is a 200 word statement that you can add to your credit file, to explain any entry on it. You may wish to do this if there is an item of information on your Credit File, which is factually correct, but you believe it creates a misleading impression.

Some possible cases where you may wish to add a Notice of Correction to your records are:

  • You have recently changed your name (i.e. recently married, separated or divorced)
  • You are behind on credit repayments due to redundancy or loss of employment or long-term illness

Once a Notice of Correction is in your records, it will be shown to any potential lenders when you make an application for credit. The credit reference agency has up to 28 days to complete this process following receipt of a Notice of Correction from you.

Your Notice of Correction should give a clear and accurate explanation of why you consider a piece of data to be incorrect or misleading. Your Notice of Correction text must not be longer than 200 words. You can prepare this text yourself or with the help of, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau, a Consumer Advice Centre, or a Solicitor.

Please note that the Notice of Correction should not be, defamatory (affecting someone's good name or reputation), frivolous or scandalous, or for any other reason unsuitable for publication.

If you add a Notice of Correction to your credit file any organisation accessing your credit file will have access to your Notice of Correction. Please bear in mind that if you add a Notice of Correction to your credit file, lenders searching our database for information we hold about you are obliged under the Guide to Credit Scoring to read your Notice of Correction. This may slow down their decision of whether to offer you the product/service you have applied for.


How do I add a Notice of Correction to my credit report?

You must obtain a copy of your credit file before the Credit Reference Agency can add a Notice of Correction to their database. Once you have received your credit file you may dispute information you believe to be incorrect. If they are unable to amend the information you have disputed because it is factually correct, you have a right to add a Notice of Correction to your credit file.

Please write to the Credit Reference Agency quoting your reference number and confirm the wording you would like to add to your file.

There is a PDF form for Equifax here


Related Pages

Credit Scoring

Notice of Disassociation