# Checking your credit report: the free statutory report and fixing errors

> A credit report is the record lenders look at when you apply for credit. This guide explains who holds it, what it contains, how to get a free copy…

- URL: https://centiview.com/uk-money/checking-your-credit-report-free-statutory-report
- Published: 2026-10-14T09:36:00.000Z
- Figures checked: 2026-10-14
- Edited by David A
- Topic: Debt & Credit (UK)
- Publisher: Centiview (Persie Ltd, London)
- General information only, not financial advice

A credit report is the record lenders look at when you apply for credit. This guide explains who holds it, what it contains, how to get a free copy, how long information stays and how mistakes can be corrected.

## Who this guide is for

This guide is general information for adults in the UK who want to understand credit reports. It is not advice for your own situation. It does not cover business credit files, and it does not cover how to improve any particular score.

The points below were checked on the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Citizens Advice websites on 14 October 2026.

## What a credit report is

Three credit reference agencies hold credit files in the UK: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Citizens Advice says a lender can check one or more of them when deciding on an application. Each agency may hold slightly different details, so the three files can differ.

Citizens Advice lists what a file usually holds:

- Past and present addresses, including where you were registered to vote
- How you have managed existing accounts, including whether payments were on time
- Public records such as court judgments, bankruptcies, and IVAs or Debt Relief Orders
- Financial associations, meaning people you share an account or a joint application with
- A record of the companies that have searched your file

## Getting your report for free

The ICO says you can ask any of the three agencies for your credit information at no cost. Look for the words "statutory report" on the agency's website. You do not have to pay a monthly subscription to get it.

Citizens Advice notes that paid services which send you your file regularly also exist. It suggests reading the terms and cancelling any free trial before it ends if you do not want to be charged.

> **Key numbers** The agency has one month from receiving your request to reply, according to the ICO. In some cases it can take up to two extra months, but it should tell you within the first month that it needs longer. Checked 14 October 2026.

## How long information stays

Citizens Advice says information is usually kept for six years. Some items can last longer, for example a bankruptcy restrictions order that a court has made for more than six years. If information is kept for longer than it should be, you can ask for it to be removed. The ICO adds that a debt sold on to a collection company should not stay on your file for more than six years from the original default.

## Credit scores

Citizens Advice explains that lenders give points for facts in your application and add them up. If you fall below the lender's threshold, they may refuse you or charge more. Each lender uses its own system, so there is no single score that every lender sees. Lenders will not tell you your score, but if you are refused after a check, the lender must tell you which agency it used if you ask.

## If something looks wrong

- Start with the agency that holds the file, and with the lender that reported the entry. The ICO says agencies generally cannot change another company's entry without that company's agreement.
- Ask in writing for wrong information to be corrected. Citizens Advice says this applies to wrong information, not to accurate information you would rather hide.
- You can ask for a notice of correction. This is a short statement, for example that a debt has since been paid, which anyone viewing the entry will see.
- If an obvious inaccuracy is not fixed, the ICO says you can complain to it.

## Where the rules differ

Citizens Advice lists Debt Relief Orders and Administration Orders as applying in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you live in Scotland, it can be worth checking how debt arrangements there are recorded on the official pages.

> **Who this affects** Anyone with a UK address who has applied for, or may apply for, credit, more. It does not cover people with no UK credit history, who may have little or nothing on file.

If debts are causing worry, free and confidential help is available from MoneyHelper, Citizens Advice and StepChange. If a complaint about a lender is not settled, the Financial Ombudsman Service may be able to look at it for free.

## Check before you act

Rules and processes change, and the agencies update their websites. It is worth confirming the details on the official pages linked below before you rely on anything here.

### Sources
- [ICO, Credit](https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/credit/)
- [Citizens Advice, How lenders decide whether to give you credit](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/borrowing-money/how-lenders-decide-whether-to-give-you-credit/)