Credit problem with electoral register - help!!

Irishorangutan

Hello folks! :j

I moved from a house to a flat just under a year ago. At the house I had no problem gaining credit, and yes I appreciate times were different a couple of years ago regarding credit.

However, since moving into the flat I have not been granted one credit application. I have done around 3 in the year as I don't want to make this worse, but of course I would like the ability to get credit, if only to switch credit cards.

Here is the problem. As an example, my address 2b Spencer Street. On the electoral register (using my credit check) my address shows up as 2 Spencer street and none of the flats are split up! There is a list of around 7 names of people who live in my building who all live at this same address. It should be 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d etc but we are all under just 2.

I phoned my local council who told me that this has no effect on my ability to gain credit, but surely being registered as 2 Spencer Street rather than 2b, makes it look like I have lots of people living with me, some with (I know for a fact) terrible credit history.

Here's the questions:

1) Is the main cause of my problems getting credit?

2) How do I fix it?

Many many thanks in advance for advice.

Old_Wrinkly

Irishorangutan wrote: »

I moved from a house to a flat just under a year ago. At the house I had no problem gaining credit ...

However, since moving into the flat I have not been granted one credit application. ...

Here is the problem. As an example, my address 2b Spencer Street. On the electoral register (using my credit check) my address shows up as 2 Spencer street and none of the flats are split up! There is a list of around 7 names of people who live in my building who all live at this same address. It should be 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d etc but we are all under just 2.

I phoned my local council who told me that this has no effect on my ability to gain credit, but surely being registered as 2 Spencer Street rather than 2b, makes it look like I have lots of people living with me, some with (I know for a fact) terrible credit history.

Here's the questions:

1) Is <the above> the main cause of my problems getting credit?

Almost certainly

2) How do I fix it?

You need to get in touch with someone at the council who knows what they are talking about!

I am assuming that these are self-contained flats, each with their own front door. If so, they should be separate entries on the electoral register.
You should first check your registration details (for yourself) on the official roll either at a local library, or the town hall. It is just possible that the CRA are working from an out-of-date copy of the ER.

Are these flats all rented from the owner of the building? If so, it is possible (likely?) that the owner hasn't properly informed the council / registration authorities. If you have regular contact with the owner, you could check this. Alternatively, just write to the registration authorities and say you are incorrectly registered - they should take it from there.

Irishorangutan

Old_Wrinkly wrote: »

Almost certainly

You need to get in touch with someone at the council who knows what they are talking about!

I am assuming that these are self-contained flats, each with their own front door. If so, they should be separate entries on the electoral register.
You should first check your registration details (for yourself) on the official roll either at a local library, or the town hall. It is just possible that the CRA are working from an out-of-date copy of the ER.

Are these flats all rented from the owner of the building? If so, it is possible (likely?) that the owner hasn't properly informed the council / registration authorities. If you have regular contact with the owner, you could check this. Alternatively, just write to the registration authorities and say you are incorrectly registered - they should take it from there.

Hi! Thanks for your reply.

All the flats are privately owned and/or rented. The Credit check is definitely up to date as we are included on it and we only added ourselves shortly after we moved. So I guess I need to find someone at the council who knows what they are talking about and perhaps contact the registration authorities?

Old_Wrinkly

You can fill in a form online here
https://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/electoral_registration_applica.aspx

or simply get the address to write to here
http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/make_it_local/search_for_a_local_authority.aspx?returnURL=0

Old_Wrinkly

Irishorangutan wrote: »

The Credit check is definitely up to date as we are included on it and we only added ourselves shortly after we moved.

Do you mean that you added yourselves to the Electoral Register (using the normal methods presumably)?
If so, presumably you put "2b" (or whatever it is) rather than "2",
So it's rather strange that the authorities have got it wrong on the ER.
Did you get sent Official Poll Cards for the recent elections?
If so, were these addressed to No.2 for all the people in the building?
If that is the case, how could they be correctly delivered?
How do you get individual Council Tax information?

Irishorangutan

I know, that is what is so confusing.

The council tax bill is addressed to L/R (lower right) and M/L etc. However, on the register we all come under 2.

With the poll cards, yes we were sent, though to be honest I didn't really look at what address was on them. All our mail is collected communally at the door of the building.

I think I need to contact them again and see what is going on - but definitely we are being lumped in as number 2 along with all the other people in the building on the register.

Another example is when you go online to order something. It doesn't come up with 2a, 2b or even 2 T/l, 2 L/R etc - it simple comes up with 2!!

Thanks for your advice by the way - very helpful.