How to check your credit file and correct errors

Start with the information behind the decision.

The answer in 2 lines. If credit is refused, ask the lender for the main reason and which credit reference agency it used. You can request a free statutory credit report and check the underlying records. Different agencies may hold different information, and a score alone does not explain every decision. Challenge errors with both the agency and the organisation that supplied them. Paying a genuine debt does not necessarily remove its history immediately.

The first steps

Ask the lender to explain the main reason for refusal and review its decision. Keep the response rather than guessing that a particular entry caused it.
Open MoneyHelper's credit report guide. Use its report-access links and choose the free statutory report route, without taking a paid subscription.
Check names, addresses, accounts, repayment records and financial associations. Keep a copy and identify the exact entry you dispute.

Stop: danger

What you are actually checking

Credit reference agencies compile information that lenders can use when assessing applications. A lender also considers its own criteria and information you supplied. A report therefore helps you investigate a refusal but does not guarantee that another application will succeed.

A credit score is a summary. Concentrate on whether the underlying information is correct: an unfamiliar account, an incorrect address or a wrongly recorded missed payment needs attention even if the headline score looks reasonable. MoneyHelper's linked guide explains the difference between a score, a report and a search.

Requesting the report safely

The Information Commissioner's Office credit guidance explains the free right of access. Use its request instructions if you prefer writing or cannot complete an online application. Provide identifying details and address history as requested; the agency may need further evidence to protect your information.

Checking your own report is a soft search and does not harm your credit score. Check reports from different agencies if necessary because the information may differ. Save confirmation of each request and use a private device or secure connection when handling the documents.

What not to do

Paying someone who promises to erase accurate adverse information.
Giving banking passwords or security codes to someone offering to repair your credit history.
Making repeated credit applications before understanding the reason for refusal.
Assuming that an unfamiliar entry proves you owe money: investigate it before paying.

How to challenge an error

Write to the agency holding the entry and the lender or organisation that supplied it. Identify the account, explain what is wrong and attach relevant evidence, such as payment confirmation. State the correction you want and keep copies.

If they will not correct an obvious inaccuracy, follow the complaint route in the ICO credit guidance. The ICO deals with personal information issues; it does not decide whether a lender should offer you credit. An accurate adverse entry cannot simply be removed because it makes borrowing difficult.

If the entry is a court judgment

For England, read GOV.UK's guidance on judgments and credit records. The rules checked in 2026 say a judgment normally remains on the register for six years. Paying the full amount within one month allows removal; paying later normally means the entry is marked satisfied instead.

Follow that page's instructions for notifying the court and supplying proof. Do not confuse payment with successfully challenging a judgment. The judgment system also applies in Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have different court procedures.

Good to know

A refused application does not establish that every lender will refuse you.
For an unresolved complaint about a lender's conduct, use the Financial Ombudsman Service complaint page: complain to the lender first, then follow the eligibility questions and attach its response.
If the entries reflect debts you cannot afford, use MoneyHelper's debt advice locator, select your preferred contact method and discuss the debts before choosing a repayment solution.

Illustrative example: in Nottingham, Aisha finds a missed-payment marker despite having payment confirmation. She sends a copy to the lender and disputes the same entry with the credit reference agency. She keeps both replies and checks the updated report rather than assuming the matter is resolved after a telephone call.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 6 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for free statutory access, correction routes and the stated judgment rules; medium for the cause of an individual refusal and how quickly an update appears. Court-record periods are the rules checked in 2026. No single retention period applies to every kind of entry.