Credit report inconsistencies

Lozza1998

Due to an unforeseen circumstance, I entered a Debt Management Plan (DMP) for my Nationwide loan in September 2025. I have always made payments on time and have never had any issues with the arrangement.

This year, my partner and I received some unexpected funds, so we began the process of applying for a Shared Ownership mortgage. However, my Decision in Principle (DIP) has been repeatedly declined. After investigation, we discovered that this is due to my DMP being reported inconsistently across the Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs), even with specialist lenders who normally accept DMP applicants.

Experian and Equifax are incorrectly showing that I have been in rolling arrears for the past year. Based on this data, lenders are automatically declining my application. In contrast, TransUnion is reporting the account correctly — showing no arrears or defaults, and simply reflecting that I have been in a DMP since last year.

My mortgage advisor has confirmed that unless Experian and Equifax are corrected, any lender will continue to decline me automatically.

I have contacted Nationwide, who insist they are reporting the account correctly on their end and claim they have no control over how CRAs display the data. I have also contacted Equifax, who confirmed that the information they have received is wrong and that the account should not show arrears, but instead show DMP/Arrangement to Pay. They also stated that they cannot amend the data without authorisation from Nationwide — but Nationwide are refusing to assist.

Where does this leave me?

Woodstok2000

If the DMP is shown correctly on one agency database, that would seem to imply (not definitively, but most likely) that this issue is with the other CRAs,not Nationwide.

sourcrates

When you enter debt management your accounts should either be defaulted, or will be marked "AP" (arrangement to pay).

If they are not marked this way, make a formal complaint to the lender, and escalate to the ICO (information commissionaires office) if need be.