Errors on Your Credit File? How to Dispute and Fix Them (UK)

A single error on your credit file can mean a refused mortgage, a higher rate, or a declined phone contract. The good news: you can check your file for free and force lenders to fix mistakes. Here is how.

Check all three agencies

The UK has three main credit reference agencies — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — and lenders may use any of them. Your statutory credit report is available free. Look for:

• Accounts or debts that are not yours (possible fraud or a mix-up).
• Defaults or missed payments recorded incorrectly, or that should have dropped off (most stay six years).
• Wrong addresses or financial associations (e.g. still linked to an ex-partner).
• Settled debts still showing as outstanding.

How to dispute an error

1. Raise a dispute with the credit reference agency, which must investigate (usually within 28 days) and contact the lender.
2. Complain to the lender that reported the wrong data — they are responsible for its accuracy and must correct it.
3. Add a "Notice of Correction" (up to 200 words) to your file to explain context while a dispute is ongoing.
4. If a default reflects a genuine problem like fraud, report the fraud to Action Fraud and ask for a protective marker (CIFAS).

A dispute letter template

Dear [Lender / Credit reference agency],

Re: Incorrect credit file entry

My credit report shows [the incorrect entry: e.g. a default on account X dated Y].
This is wrong because [it is not my account / it was settled on [date] / I never
missed these payments]. Please investigate, correct the entry, and confirm the
correction to all three credit reference agencies.

I enclose [evidence]. Please respond within 28 days.

Yours faithfully,
[Your name, address and account details]

If they won't fix it

If the lender refuses to correct genuine errors, complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service, and you can also raise concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) about inaccurate personal data. Persistence pays — a corrected default can transform your access to credit.