Help...credit check for Police Staff job?

sistafromanothermista

Oh well done!!!!!!

Fantastic news

dustybin1970

Well done so pleased for you, can I ask do you have any defaults on credit check? I ask as I bottled interview with them cos I am on DMP and have 1 default and 3 arrangement to pay showing.

dfwsometimesoon

dustybin1970 wrote: »

Well done so pleased for you, can I ask do you have any defaults on credit check? I ask as I bottled interview with them cos I am on DMP and have 1 default and 3 arrangement to pay showing.

Hi yes... have 13 creditors in total...9 have already defaulted the rest showing arrangement to pay....not a pretty sight to be honest

I can only assume they are looking for 'formal' arrangements or ccj's etc.... I did mention the DMP at interview when the vetting checks etc were mentioned I didn't go into any detail then tho, the form you get once you reach the vetting stage is where all the detail goes and I was just completely honest on that (embarrassing as it was!!) looking at your defaults etc they are tiny in comparison to mine!!

I'd say go for it if they contact you again, my main worry was that it would all be scrutinised at the interview, so you are sat there having to explain every excruciating detail....its not tho I was the one to mention it at interview and there were no questions etc asked. Good luck x

jaydut

I know this is an old thread but thought I would share my experience.

My youngest son who is now 10 is autistic and has all the learning and behavioural problems that go with it. As a result my wife had to leave work to care for him about 5yrs ago and as a result a large portion of our income was lost, we both earned a good wage. No matter how much extra I worked I coudn`t make up the shortfall plus I was at home less to support my wife and son so it was lose lose situation really. I then decided to deal with the problem head on before the inevitable happened, sold both our nice cars and bought a more modest car and also contacted Payplan who put us on a DMP. I have never missed a payment and have steadily increased what I pay in line with what I can comfortably afford. However I was still travelling 50 miles a day working lates and weekends and as my son has got older he has become more of a handfull. So I noticed a job advertised at the Police HQ in my town through an agency, Mon-Fri 8.30-4.00 perfect and I could do the job standing on my head with one hand tied behind my back. 24hrs after sending my CV to them they phoned and said that the Manager at the HQ had gone over my CV and wanted to interview me the following day. Off I popped to the interview which went really well and I was offered the job later that same day I was elated, they then emailed me the vetting forms which I completed and returned the next day. I was happy until 2 weeks later I received a letter from them saying my application had been terminated because of my financial status and that I may be vulnerable to financial inducement!! deflated wasnt the word the wife was in tears (felt it was hers and my sons fault) it was heartbreaking to see. I called the them and said how unfair it was to offer me a job then snatch it away again and that my situation was triggered not by my financial irresponsibility but because I had son who needed extra care and that I felt I had acted responsibly in dealing with the situation and because I was in DMP I was in fact under no financial pressure to pay more than I could afford so to say I was a risk of financial inducement was wrong.
Anyway they told me to write all this down and send it in so a senior officer can look at it and make a decision because they can actually over ride a vetting investigators decision if they feel the circumstances warrant it. So I have sent the letter on principle but I wont hold my breath!!!

jo_keeler

Hi have you had any news. I am currently going through the application process for a job as a pcso and very worried about the credit check.. At the first briefing I was the only older candidate at 46 the rest must have been around 20 years old, hardly enough years to get into debt. I may have debt, but like you I am honest and hard working doesnt seem fair really.

aoused

My understanding of the things that will trip you up are:

1) You must not bring the police into disrepute.
2) You could be vulnerable to financial-based corruption.
3) You must not break the law or be subject to things like CCJs.

If you have a severe debt problem, you could see how you would be at risk of all three factors.

Factor two isn't something new but it is something the police are far hotter on following research by the HMIC and the whole Leveson affair. The fact is, if you really are in dire straights, you are more vulnerable to external corruption or at least improper conduct in your day job (think along the lines of taking things from property stores etc). This isn't to say everyone with a debt problem is a risk (e.g. someone at risk of not paying a few PDLs back is probably far less risk than someone facing repossession of their home).

You can imagine how the police need to maintain the confidence of the public and cannot have officers and staff who are being chased by creditors. You also have to remember that police do occasionally deal with civil matters, bailiffs and court orders; I think there could be a problem with impartiality if the officer or staff member got involved in such a job where the same people chasing them were involved.

The vetting stage is no secret and the one thing that will surely kill any application is avoiding the absolute truth. If someone like a debt problem or a criminal in the family tree is not disclosed but later found out, vetting can only assume you were trying to hide it. If your paperwork is submitted with an accompanying letter, you may stand a far better chance of being 'OK'd'. Don't rely on police recruiters when they say 'it shouldn't be a problem', because without discrediting them too much, they are not the ones making the decision and may not be aware of all of the factors involved in your given situation and the requirements of the role.

Clearly, there will be some leeway in this. I would not suggest a debt problem = no job but it certainly will if not declared to vetting. Some roles will require a higher security clearance and others will carry more risk to the organisation (so a vehicle mechanic with a debt problem is probably far less risk than say a police officer, property store assistance, intelligence analyst etc).

Sadly, like any recruiting process, if there are other suitable candidates without debt issues, it may mean you loose out. As others have already alluded to, a well written letter will help and they will look much more favourably on someone who gets into debt on a one off due to unforeseen circumstances than they will with someone who spends frivolously and carelessly.

The same process applies to serving staff and officers. If the organisation gets wind that someone is in financial difficulty (e.g. if they receive an Attachment of Earnings Order), they will try to help but also have to consider the aforementioned risk factors... There are police officers who are bankrupts but I doubt they work a sensitive post (any more). Worst case is, you could be subject to discipline procedures (even getting the boot).

uphillstruggler

Congratulations! Just goes to show that if you want something, you'll go out and get it. You should be very proud. So happy for you. :j

worriedwilf

Just been reading though these posts and it seems crazy that the level of debt can be an issue. A couple could eachhave a new car on finance totalling 30K. Surely its the ability to manage debt that should be judged as opposed to how much you owe??

aoused

worriedwilf wrote: »

Just been reading though these posts and it seems crazy that the level of debt can be an issue. A couple could eachhave a new car on finance totalling 30K. Surely its the ability to manage debt that should be judged as opposed to how much you owe??

I think it probably is but you have to bare in mind that many jobs in the police (including a student Constable) are low paid. Whilst I don't know what the exact criteria for pass/rejection is, I am sure having debts over 50% of your income would be a real alarm for vetting. Remember they will do Experian checks and will be able to see exactly the same as a lender would including spending history, limit history, payment history, credit searches etc.

You also have to consider that an organised criminal gang could also get hold of this information and target a vulnerable police staff member...

jo_keeler

So what happens if someone has no debt whatsoever but a mortgage to pay. If this is down to bribery problems then what is to stop someone saying ill pay off your mortgage etc etc. just because you maybe in debt does not make you a dishonest person. What happens to people falsely claiming benefits etc. some of the richest people are the most crooked if you ask me.