Help required to gain a credit score

janeis

My partner's having a problem getting a credit score. We have been together for 22 years, residing at the same address for the past 20 years but the credit score companies don't seem able to validate either that he is who he says he is or that he lives here. He hasn't got a current passport but does have a driving licence & an HGV licence listing this address. He has got his own bank account, is self-employed, (company listed to this address), but his credit card is secondary, (?) to mine, the mortgage, utility, broadband & landline 'phone bills are in my name as is the mobile account he uses. Is there any way he can currently get a credit score, eg recognition we both live at the same address? If not, what do we have to do for him to be able to get one as soon as possible, (he needs this urgentlyto apply for an HGV driving job, tho' why they want this information is not clear)?

[Deleted User]

He doesn't need a score. He needs to build a history of using credit.

The easiest way to do this is through using credit - either a credit card, or a phone contract, or similar. Is he on the ER?

What exactly have his potential employers asked for?

fatbelly

If his bank account is registered at the address he is living then he should be able to get a copy of his credit report from each of the three main credit reference agencies. Statutory reports are free.

Moving forward he could have a credit card and a phone in his own name, and make sure he is on the electoral roll.

Ben8282

janeis wrote: »

My partner's having a problem getting a credit score.


what do we have to do for him to be able to get one as soon as possible, (he needs this urgentlyto apply for an HGV driving job, tho' why they want this information is not clear)?

He does NOT need a credit score to apply for a job! Is he being asked to disclose his credit score on the job application form?
One interesting question here would be why he has no credit, no utility bills, no phone, nothing in his own name.

PRAISETHESUN

Ignore any reference to your credit score. No-one except you or your OH will see this. What matters most is your credit HISTORY. Like you, I'm not sure why they want to see his credit files, but my guess would be to verify his identity. The problem however is that your OH has a very thin/non-existent credit file so they will have a lot of trouble trying to link a credit file to him. I had a very similar problem when I first moved to the UK. The only real solution is to get some credit in his name (it sounds like basically everything except his bank account is in your name, which unless you have a joint account will not be visible to lenders when they search him).

In the interim he can write to the three CRAs requesting copies of his statutory report - they are obliged to provide this information. If/when they are unable to do so, you can escalate this and they typically ask for copies of relevant ID documents (eg. licence, passport, bank statements, etc) which should then be able to link him to his credit file. Also double check that he is registered at your current address on the electoral roll as this helps massively. Once sorted, I'd think about looking to build his credit - see the following link, remembering to ignore any reference to "scores", and focus on building up a good history of managing credit responsibly: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/credit-rating-credit-score/

Candyapple

From your post, it sounds like the only thing in your partner's name is his bank account and if all this relates back 20+ years, it could very well be that his bank account doesn't even show on his credit files as his bank account was opened before the Data Protection Act was introduced (1998) as lenders didn't have an obligation to share data then.

The first thing he should do is check all 3 of his credit files:
Experian: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/creditclub
Equifax: https://www.clearscore.com
Call Credit: https://www.noddle.co.uk

If after checking his files his bank account is not showing, he should contact the bank and ask them to start sharing his data with the credit reference agencies. They will either send a form back for him to sign agreeing to this, or a letter back confirming that they will start reporting to the CRAs.

Is he on the electoral roll? If not, he should get registered ASAP, note this may take 2-3 months to be updated on his credit files:
https://www.gov.uk/get-on-electoral-register

Going forward, your partner should look to applying for a mobile phone SIM in his own name and applying for a credit card in his own name too to build up some credit history.

Passport / driving licence / HGV licence none of these things are relevant or related to your credit history. All they prove is your identity.