Council claiming credit agency shows someone else at my address

RubyGlen

Hello, can someone who knows how credit referencing agencies work help?  

My understanding from searching online is that only a person can be searched, not an address.  However my local council are claiming that another person also is using my address which they have found using a credit search.  They have done this to attempt to remove my 25% single persons council tax discount.  However, I have lived here alone for 17 years, and I have not in that time had any lodger or allowed anyone to use my address for any purpose.  I also have not had any mail within the last few years addressed to someone else.  I have also not changed my own name.

The council are refusing to give me any information other than there is another name associated with the address, apparently they can get this information, use it, but I can’t access it anywhere to get it rectified?

Firstly, are the council pulling as fast one, possibly they are just sending these letters to everyone with an discount and fishing for who admits to not living alone. Are they able to credit check an address to find out the occupants?  How are they able to do that and from which company?  

Secondly, as I’ve had no mail, I have no idea what the name is, how do I report it and get it removed from the records?  

[Deleted User]

No, of course they're not pulling a fast one.  And they don't have the right to provide you with the details of another individual.

You don't need to worry about whether someone is using your address.  Credit files belong to individuals, not front doors.

You just need to tell them that you live alone.  Everything else is not your problem.

RubyGlen

It is my problem, because the council want me to convince them that this person is not living here, if I don’t even know who they are, how can I do that?  I don’t see why I should have to pay 25% more council tax just because they have found dodgy data from somewhere. 

D3xt3r5L4b

Then tell them they’re a no one else living with you. Simple. 

[Deleted User]

RubyGlen said:

It is my problem, because the council want me to convince them that this person is not living here, if I don’t even know who they are, how can I do that?  

How would knowing their name make a difference? 

But as I said, they're not going to contravene the DPA just because you want them to. 

You just continue to declare that you live alone.

RubyGlen

If I knew the name, I could for example tell them if it is a neighbour who has used the incorrect address and know it is an innocent mistake.  What I don’t understand is how the council can write to me using my full name, yet the person they claim lives with me has not also received a letter from them.  If they believe someone to be living here, they don’t need to give me the name specifically, but as they live here why are they writing only to me and not to the other person?  

I have not asked the council for the name, but I have asked that they tell me the name of the credit company that they are getting this information from.  I can then contact that company and inform them of a potential fraud because the council has told me that someone is using my address.  That name needs to get flagged to prevent them taking out any further credit using my address. 

gizmo111

I had the same happen a couple of years ago, my ex step son whom I have not seen for over 20 years was still associated with me at this address.  It was simple to get a credit report and get him removed and inform the council of the error.  Just check your credit files and see who is on there.

MovingForwards

Sometimes a 192 search shows up linked people at an address. All you need to do is put your surname and postcode in.

p00hsticks

RubyGlen said:

What I don’t understand is how the council can write to me using my full name, yet the person they claim lives with me has not also received a letter from them.  If they believe someone to be living here, they don’t need to give me the name specifically, but as they live here why are they writing only to me and not to the other person?  

Because the council tax bill is in your name ?

jimroy

This happened to me a few years back. My next door neighbour committed 'application fraud' and 'council tax fraud' against me for the same reason; to claim single person discount. She got her son to say he was living at my address. I remember once when whoever delivers the polling cards for elections dumped them in our communal foyer before a council election and my (the same) neighbour told me on passing afterwards that she had mine in her car and she'd pop it through my door (?!)
It was sometime after this (co-incidence or not) that I got a letter from the council tax people saying that as someone who claims single person discount their records show someone else living at my address, and that I had seven/ten days to respond and confirm this or my single person's discount would be revoked.
When I called them up they gave me the name of the other person supposedly living at my address and I instantly knew it was my neighbour's son who isn't officially living with her but does regularly.
On advice from the Police, I reported it to Action Fraud and got support from Victim Support afterwards because it is very distressing. I encourage you to do the same.
Incidentally, after confirming with them that I did indeed live alone and that other person was my neighbours son I never heard anything again. So, just get back to them and let them know. They'll do their own investigations. You have nothing to prove otherwise!
Also there is nothing on my CRA files about it because there was no 'financial fraud' committed against me.

Jumblebumble

Deleted_User said:

No, of course they're not pulling a fast one. 

If I ask you "How do you know?"
 The answer will be "I  don't !"