Credit Refused – Electoral roll

gwernybwch

I’ve just applied for a credit card to balance transfer £3,400 from MBNA (on a £7,800 credit limit) and have been rejected.

I have done a credit check - all good apart from I’ve got several unused credit cards (now cancelled), so got my credit score which showed a score of “good” at 455. It seems that the reason for the refusal for credit is due to my electoral roll record.

I’ve been on the electoral roll at my house for 8 years, but it seems this year have forgot (or haven’t received) my electoral roll. I will send an electoral registration form to my council so that I can be added again, but -

* Will this show a gap on the electoral roll? Or am I able to ‘backdate’ my electoral roll register?
* How long will it take after I’m re-added to the electoral roll, before it registers on the credit agencies records?
* Out of interest, what relationship does the electoral roll have to council tax register?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Venusflytrap

Does one have to 'renew' electoral roll registration each year? Understood that it just rolled over until you advised your council of a move. I forget now...

jen245

Im not sure if its the same for all councils, but my local council sends out a form each year, that you have to complete and send back to them to remain on it

Geenie

jen245 wrote: »

Im not sure if its the same for all councils, but my local council sends out a form each year, that you have to complete and send back to them to remain on it

Same where I live. Updated every year.

gwernybwch

Thanks for the replies. Is anyone able to answer my original queries-

gwernybwch wrote: »

* Will this show a gap on the electoral roll? Or am I able to ‘backdate’ my electoral roll register?
* How long will it take after I’m re-added to the electoral roll, before it registers on the credit agencies records?
* Out of interest, what relationship does the electoral roll have to council tax register?

One other question - if you have two properties, are you allowed to be on the electoral roll twice?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

gozaimasu

gwernybwch wrote: »

One other question - if you have two properties, are you allowed to be on the electoral roll twice?

Yes you can, but obviously you can't vote twice (Except probably in regional elections if you own properties in two different regions.)

It's quite annoying because the credit reference agencies would look at you unfavourably for owning more than one property and decline credit, say if you've only lived in a second property for a short while compared to the other. It should make sense that your application comes from where you are currently geographically based (so that they can send you the stuff) regardless of how long you have been registered there. Shame that people are penalised for this but I suppose it cuts down on fraud.

gwernybwch

gozaimasu wrote: »

It's quite annoying because the credit reference agencies would look at you unfavourably for owning more than one property and decline credit, say if you've only lived in a second property for a short while compared to the other.

Thanks for the reply.

I have recently got a new job and got tenants to move into my house. Therefore there is a distinct possibility that I will shortly be moving into rented accomodation whilst I try to find a second mortgage / house to buy.

Do you think that credit reference agencies would look unfavourably that I was on the electoral roll at two properties then (my house that I was renting out and the flat that I was renting)?

In order to retain / improve my credit score, I suppose that I could *pretend* that I was still living at my house by still being registered on the electoral roll and by having all my bank statements sent there and then forwarded by Royal Mail.

Svenena

gwernybwch wrote: »

* Will this show a gap on the electoral roll? Or am I able to ‘backdate’ my electoral roll register?
* How long will it take after I’m re-added to the electoral roll, before it registers on the credit agencies records?
* Out of interest, what relationship does the electoral roll have to council tax register?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

* Yes, but the gap won't matter. You can't backdate it.
* This page shows an example of when you'd be registered on the electoral roll depending on when you apply: http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/council-and-democracy/elections/register-to-vote.en. Councils then report to the CRAs once a month, so add a month to the registration date.
* None. They are maintained separately.

Svenena

Also, see here about registering at two addresses: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/faq/voting-and-registration/i-have-two-homes.-can-i-register-to-vote-at-both-addresses

dzug1

Venusflytrap wrote: »

Does one have to 'renew' electoral roll registration each year? Understood that it just rolled over until you advised your council of a move. I forget now...

In principle yes - but some councils will roll you over if you forget, at least for one year. Because of the AV referendum, they are probably being stricter this year.

gwernybwch

Originally Posted by gwernybwch
* Will this show a gap on the electoral roll? Or am I able to ‘backdate’ my electoral roll register?

Svenena wrote: »

* Yes, but the gap won't matter. You can't backdate it.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

One last question (I promise!) -
If a gap on the electorall roll doesn't matter, in applying for credit does the time that you have been on the electoral roll not matter, only whether you are on it or not?