Does your RM PAF address need to match the one used on the Electoral Role?

IrishGypsy

Hi all,

After recently moving home, I have checked my credit reports and when I use their PAF system to find our new build home, the credit reference agencies are cutting out the name of the village from the address.

Example:

Royal Mail Address:
123 Example Street,
Example Village,
Town,
Postcode

Credit Reference Agency Address:
123 Example Street,
Town,
Postcode

So, for the purpose of credit searches, would these two addresses show up under my linked addresses as two different places due to the omission of the village? Could it lead to any credit rejections? Or does it only matter what I put in myself when applying for credit? (I always use the RM's version as it's more 'complete').

I tried a forum search but found nothing on this in the results. Thanks!

molerat

Mine is the other way round and has not caused any problems. I think they mainly match number, street and post code ignoring anything else. It is where the numbering and street names don't match that problems arise.

blairpost

I retired from Royal Mail eighteen months ago and part of my job was keeping and maintaining Royal Mail PAF, (postal address file), which is a product produced and maintained by Royal Mail and is available to purchase by businesses or organisations etc. It is used by the likes of banks, insurance companies or utility companies and the likes using information provided by you to allow you to obtain any products these companies etc. are offering the general public. When you apply to a company for, say home insurance, and they ask for your postcode they refer to their copy of PAF, which, if they have kept their system updated regularly as they should, will show your address details as it should. The problem therefor arises that if that company has not updated their system your postcode will not be recognisable to it, in short to their system your postcode does not exist, which is the fault of the supplier you want to do business with so it's my guess that the reasons I mention could be the root of your electoral roll problem.

aqueous

Thanks blairpost - useful to understand a bit more about the PAF.

they refer to their copy of PAF, which, if they have kept their system updated regularly as they should, will show your address details as it should. The problem therefor arises that if that company has not updated their system your postcode will not be recognisable to it

This does beg the question; why don't Royal Mail simply maintain an online PAF that companies can then check, negating this problem altogether!