New job.. past financial hiccups.. screening.. help!

the_lonely_one

Hi all

First time here, please be gentle!

Moons ago, a relative was in a pickle and kinda had something against me and demanded i get them money from the bank. I was mentally unstable at the time (long medical history documenting this) and couldn't fight my corner, did as I was told and borrowed some money. I then had another demand a few months later and ended up refinancing. At the time the bank knew i was in a pickle, every month i'd been extending my overdraft, they could see i was struggling and had mentioned it a couple of times on the phone. I even asked the loans officer as many dodgy questions as I could hoping he'd refuse it and give me something in writing to take back to the relative.. he still agreed the bloody money.

Relative assured me I'd get the money back. I got scammed. :mad: That relative is now being pursued for their own debts - over £80k the last i heard. Unable to afford it and about to lose my job (cuts), I did what every idiotic twenty something year old does and vanished - absolutely terrified. There was also a overdraft if memory serves. I've never had any contact from the lender since - somewhat odd, i thought they'd have found me years ago as i was at my last few addresses for many years. Its one of the reasons the police have sectioned me twice - it's not nice being carted away from a well known suicide spot at the top of some cliffs.

16 years on from my vanishing act... I've had other jobs, been out of work, health woes, new family etc... life moved on.

Now got a job offer but they want to do employee screening - adverse credit check. I've no idea what my credit history shows, I've been too scared to sign up and find out in case I get unwanted contact from a collecting agency.

So.. I did what most folks would do and turned to the internet.. found MSE! So tooled up with the knowledge that CCJs are on record for 6 years (I'm assuming i've been given one), A few days ago I rang one of the credit reference agencies and made an enquiry. The person I spoke too said that settled CCJs drop off after 6 years... but CCJs which are not settled / still live DO NOT drop off the credit file and can still be found :eek:

Kind of seriously feeling glum now.. especially as I had contact from another potential employer who wants to perform a similar check - and they said they found a CCJ for another applicant that was 18 years old

Making it worse my partner is seriously struggling to keep us afloat... we've claimed everything possible / all got cancelled when i failed a PIP medical (appealling but that takes a year). Really need work - this job would be perfect but I really think i'm going to end up on a loser here and then have contact from a DCA

Please help!

sourcrates

Hi,


Welcome to MSE.


The information you were given on CCJ`s was incorrect, they stay on your file for 6 years, then drop off it regardless of whether they have been settled or not.

As regards your other debts, defaulted accounts only stay on your file for 6 years, then they disappear also, again, regardless of them been settled or not.

There is also the Limitations Act 1980, any account not paid or acknowledged in writing for any period of 6 years will become statute barred, and you won`t have to pay them.

So after 16 years all your past misdemeanors will be forgiven.


Edit : I don`t buy the "finding a CCJ after 18 years thing" just not possible.

fatrab

Are you applying for a job with a high level of security screening e.g. government or high security/military establishments?


Obviously I don't want to (actually can't) disclose anything on an open, public forum, but the security clearance application and investigation for certain places goes way above and beyond what you'd normally expect. And my advice is that if that is where you're applying to, be completely honest. Most of us have a past history, financial or otherwise, which you'd think would tarnish your eligibility for certain roles. It doesn't work that way and I am talking from personal experience.


If it's a routine job and they're only going to credit search you, as above, nothing over 6 years will be available.


Sign up to Martin's Credit Club and access your credit report that way.


Best wishes

the_lonely_one

Hi

No not a security clearance job, just a retail one but it's got me worried that something might catch up with me - especially having read some of the other threads here where DCA's try it on!

I'm still worried about that other job where they claimed that they managed to find a very old CCJ after so many years... or maybe it's a trick to get people to confess.

sourcrates

the_lonely_one wrote: »

Hi

No not a security clearance job, just a retail one but it's got me worried that something might catch up with me - especially having read some of the other threads here where DCA's try it on!

I'm still worried about that other job where they claimed that they managed to find a very old CCJ after so many years... or maybe it's a trick to get people to confess.

CCJ’s, as said before, only show on your credit file for 6 years, they only stay on the registry trust for 6 years as well.

The only way that could of shown up after that length of time, is if the company that originally filed for that judgement had kept their own internal records, and had then been approached and asked if said person had ever, had an account with them, had any payment trouble, CCJ’s etc.

Now the odds on this happening multiply at each stage, as how would they of known who to ask, which creditor ?
I think it’s a pork pie myself, records are just not kept that long.