Credit scores and how to improve my mortgage offers

DocJules

Hi all
I wondered if I could pick the hive mind here. I've had a perfect credit score for the past 5 years until a few months ago when I deleted a direct debit with one last payment showing on it - I have now repaid this debt but this has now adversely affected my credit score which is now affecting my mortgage rates. I can't believe that 1 direct debit has had such a massive impact on my scores putting me in the fair range when for the past 5 years it has been at 999! Given I've paid the debt and done everything to boost my score it is still showing fair and I wondered how I could change this given that its now going to be a blight on my credit score. For some reason none of the lenders or anyone is looking into my past history and wondered if anyone had any advice. 
Many thanks 

[Deleted User]

Don't worry about your credit score. It's not a real score and isn't used in lending decisions, or anything else.

Lenders will look at your history and assess you for risk. A missed payment isn't great, but will fade with time,

Check all three of your reports to see what actually appears on each, in case there are other issues. A constant 999 score can indicate a very thin file.

LaHostessAvecLaMostess

DocJules said:

Hi all
I wondered if I could pick the hive mind here. I've had a perfect credit score for the past 5 years until a few months ago when I deleted a direct debit with one last payment showing on it - I have now repaid this debt but this has now adversely affected my credit score which is now affecting my mortgage rates. I can't believe that 1 direct debit has had such a massive impact on my scores putting me in the fair range when for the past 5 years it has been at 999! Given I've paid the debt and done everything to boost my score it is still showing fair and I wondered how I could change this given that its now going to be a blight on my credit score. For some reason none of the lenders or anyone is looking into my past history and wondered if anyone had any advice. 
Many thanks 

Lenders are understandably putting a far greater weight on your most recent actions than those 5-6 years ago.  The last thing they want is to ignore the early signs of someone's finances spiralling out of control, and being left with a house to repossess and ultimately sell.

As zx81 says, the effect of a recent missed payment will diminish with time.  You just need to wait.  Or failing that ask a broker who could perhaps explain on your behalf why the payment was missed.