Credit Reference Agencies - Register of Electors
By law, South Shropshire District Council supplies elector data to various Credit Reference Agencies. The information supplied to them is marked with a 'Z' marker to show who has opted out of the Edited Register, and who is happy to have their details passed on to a third party.
The Credit Reference Agencies use this information if you are applying for credit or want to open a bank account.
How and when is electoral registration information given to credit reference agencies?
Before any data is passed to Credit Reference Agencies, the Agency must pay the appropriate fee and provide a copy of its current Licence as proof of its entitlement. They may then receive (by email) electoral data for the constituency. Any elector who has 'opted out' of the Edited Register has a 'Z' marker against their name.
Supply of the Published Register:-
Elector information that was contained on the 2008 Register of Electors as at the publication date of 1st December 2007 was supplied to the following Credit Reference Agencies:-
- Experian
- Callcredit Limited
- Equifax
- Aristotle International
Monthly Updates (January - August):-
Electoral information processed during each of the rolling registration periods was supplied to the following Credit Reference Agencies:-
- Experian
- Callcredit Limited
- Equifax
How to obtain a copy of your credit report
Should you wish to obtain a copy of your Credit Report, you will need to contact the Credit Reference Agency and pay the appropriate fee. The three main Credit Reference Agencies' contact details are shown below:-
Callcredit PLC - Costumer Services Team, P O Box 491, Leeds, LS31 1WZ
(Tel: 0870 060 1414) (Website: www.callcredit.plc.uk/ - External link)
Equifax PLC - P O Box 1140, Bradford, BD1 5US
(Tel: 0870 010 0583) (Website: www.equifax.co.uk/ - External link)
Experian Limited - P O Box 9000, Nottingham, NG80 7WP
(Tel: 0870 241 6212) (Website: www.experian.co.uk/ External link)
Identify theft - don't become a victim
The Home Office recommends that you should regularly get a copy of your personal credit file from a Credit Reference Agency, to see if it includes any entries that you do not recognize.
Royal Mail offers a redirection service to help prevent identity fraud when you move house. You should also tell your bank, credit card company and all other organizations that you deal with as soon as possible. To check that your personal details are secure, get a copy of your credit file approximately 2 - 3 months after moving.
Cancel any lost or stolen credit/debit cards immediately and make sure your driving licence and passport are kept securely. Keep a note of the emergency numbers you should call if any of these items go missing.
Always keep your personal information secure when using your credit/debit card over the phone, on the internet or in shops. Make sure that nobody sees or overhears your personal information.
Shred or burn any personal mail that is no longer required, to destroy evidence of your name, address, passwords and/or account numbers.
By law, you should also change your details as soon as possible on the Register of Electors.
Further information can be obtained at:
- www.identitytheft.org.uk (External link)
Page Subscriptions:
Subscription allows you to track page changes without having to re-visit the page on too frequent a basis. The system will send you an email when a page to which you have subscribed is changed.
Subscribe to changes to this page here.Author: Eric Williams. Last Updated: 14/8/2008.
