Moved to the UK a year ago, how do you get credit?!

inthemix

My partner moved to the UK a year ago and is trying to change bank accounts and get a credit card to build her credit score up.
How do you get past the 'How long have you lived at this address' section as it asks for 3 years worth of UK addresses?
Does she need to go into branch?

Also, Experian are saying they don't have enough information to set up her credit score account.

Thanks for your help!

[Deleted User]

Credit scores aren’t used by lenders in the UK.

Lenders look at your credit history.

Get on the electoral roll.

Try opening a basic bank account in-branch somewhere.

Open a SIM only phone contract.

Get named in some utility bills.

Ben8282

inthemix wrote: »

My partner moved to the UK a year ago and is trying to change bank accounts and get a credit card to build her credit score up.

So she already has a bank account then. How did she manage to get that? Changing it will not build up her imaginary credit score.
There is no such thing as a credit score account. I assume you mean Experian say they have insufficient information to access her credit files i.e. she has no credit files.

System

I have been in her situation and it was a nightmare. It took me three months to manage to open a UK bank account and receive my first pay.

Tell her to apply for a UK driver's provisional license - or if she has one from overseas, to get it converted to a UK one. It will then show her home address which she can use for address ID in a branch. It's what I had to do as like her I had no bills in my name and wasn't yet showing on the electoral roll (and I would assume she isn't a UK citizen so getting on the roll might not be possible?). Along with one piece of official mail and her offical ID / passport, this will allow her to open a current account. If she's struggling to get the piece of mail you can ask the bank to please send her a letter at home which she can then bring in to use.

As for Experian their customer service can be a nightmare. My own credit report account was horribly broken and non-functional behind the scenes and stopping me from even passing ID checks for a phone contract etc. Once the person on the other end hit some magic button, both of my addresses and a credit score magically appeared.

You mentioned that you can't get past the "last three years" question when applying for a credit card. Some of them do give you the option to write that you lived overseas or let you enter your address manually. Just choose another one if you can't proceed on one - but she needs a credit score account first as otherwise the application will just fail anyway, and it's probably more critical to sort out a current account first too.

Willing2Learn

Atypi_Gal wrote: »

...but she needs a credit score account first as otherwise the application will just fail anyway....

Hi,

You are incorrect. No-one needs a 'credit score'. When you apply to open a bank account, the bank does not see or use your 'credit score'. The bank only sees the data held in your three credit files.

@OP
One way to have data recorded on your credit files is to open either a Loqbox account or Cashplus CreditBuilder account. It is not free though. But it does build a little bit of data on your files.
Personally, I would not open either a Loqbox or CreditBuilder account as it is not very MSE. I would just follow the suggestions in post #2 and be patient.

gionnetto

inthemix wrote: »

How do you get past the 'How long have you lived at this address' section as it asks for 3 years worth of UK addresses?

You don't! Some lenders (for example, Halifax) allow you to get a current account with 2 addresses even if you don't have 3 years of history. When it comes to credit card, start from the bottom (ie Vanquis - 6 months are enough, or Capital One - more likely to require 1 yr).

Bexgrossman

Atypi_Gal wrote: »

I have been in her situation and it was a nightmare. It took me three months to manage to open a UK bank account and receive my first pay.

Tell her to apply for a UK driver's provisional license - or if she has one from overseas, to get it converted to a UK one. It will then show her home address which she can use for address ID in a branch. It's what I had to do as like her I had no bills in my name and wasn't yet showing on the electoral roll (and I would assume she isn't a UK citizen so getting on the roll might not be possible?). Along with one piece of official mail and her offical ID / passport, this will allow her to open a current account. If she's struggling to get the piece of mail you can ask the bank to please send her a letter at home which she can then bring in to use.

As for Experian their customer service can be a nightmare. My own credit report account was horribly broken and non-functional behind the scenes and stopping me from even passing ID checks for a phone contract etc. Once the person on the other end hit some magic button, both of my addresses and a credit score magically appeared.

You mentioned that you can't get past the "last three years" question when applying for a credit card. Some of them do give you the option to write that you lived overseas or let you enter your address manually. Just choose another one if you can't proceed on one - but she needs a credit score account first as otherwise the application will just fail anyway, and it's probably more critical to sort out a current account first too.

Why couldn’t you open a Revolt account?

DCFC79

Bexgrossman wrote: »

Why couldn’t you open a Revolt account?

Or a Monzo, Starling, maybe a Monese too.

Willing2Learn

DCFC79 wrote: »

Or a Monzo, Starling, maybe a Monese too.

Are they also revolting?

DigForVictory

Start with getting onto the electoral roll?

The driving licence is a canny move!

I've been at my son to sort a mobile phone contract to develop Visibly Virtuous money habits.

thriftylass

Atypi_Gal wrote: »

electoral roll (and I would assume she isn't a UK citizen so getting on the roll might not be possible?)

I'm European and got on the electoral roll. Even though I can only vote locally not for UK wide elections.