Government credit check footprint

bsouth1 · 10 November 2017 at 11:55AM

The government now do credit checks if you apply for or renew a passport to make sure you have a genuine application. The govt has a contract for this with Equifax. Has anyone ever seen a search footprint because of this on their credit report?

Candyapple · 10 November 2017 at 12:35PM

It's not a new thing:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1429279

It's a soft check to check your ID so won't leave any footprints.

tenchy · 10 November 2017 at 12:57PM

Candyapple wrote: »

It's not a new thing:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1429279

It's a soft check to check your ID so won't leave any footprints.

But surely you can see it yourself, otherwise anyone could pry into your file without you knowing?

Candyapple · 10 November 2017 at 1:00PM

tenchy wrote: »

But surely you can see it yourself, otherwise anyone could pry into your file without you knowing?

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. You personally would be able to see it yourself in your files, it will just show up as a generic ID check. Soft searches go in a separate section to hard searches. Companies doing hard searches against you can only see other hard searches - not soft searches.

bsouth1 · 10 November 2017 at 2:57PM

Thanks for your replies and the link. I think the process might have been updated since the scrapping of identity cards? The check they do is a special kind of check. It is more than a standard ID check e.g. match name address and dob. HMPO pull information about all your accounts but with the financial figures removed. That is so they can quiz people in the interview about their private life to make sure it is not impostor. The actual details of what they do are secret, so I would not assume there is a footprint. I would imagine that a soft check showing would be likely but unless someone has actually seen a footprint on their credit report in real life then how to we really know they leave any footprint?

Candyapple · 10 November 2017 at 4:08PM

bsouth1 wrote: »

I would imagine that a soft check showing would be likely but unless someone has actually seen a footprint on their credit report in real life then how to we really know they leave any footprint?

I don't know anyone who has renewed their passport recently so unless you do, I guess no one can say for certain.

bsouth1 wrote: »

The check they do is a special kind of check. It is more than a standard ID check e.g. match name address and dob. HMPO pull information about all your accounts but with the financial figures removed. That is so they can quiz people in the interview about their private life to make sure it is not impostor. The actual details of what they do are secret, so I would not assume there is a footprint.

I would imagine it is similar to the kind of check system you have to go through to gain access to your credit files whereby you get asked a set of questions relating to your file, e.g. When was your bank account with Barclays opened. A) June 1998

March 2003 C) September 2005 and you have to select one.

tenchy · 10 November 2017 at 4:28PM

Candyapple wrote: »

I don't know anyone who has renewed their passport recently so unless you do, I guess no one can say for certain.

I would imagine it is similar to the kind of check system you have to go through to gain access to your credit files whereby you get asked a set of questions relating to your file, e.g. When was your bank account with Barclays opened. A) June 1998 March 2003 C) September 2005 and you have to select one.

I've never had to go through that rigmarole with any service provider, but I would imagine the failure rate, with possible account locking, is stupidly high. It's clearly an ill-designed system if it relies on questions about account opening dates, credit limits, current balances and so on. These data items are rarely remembered accurately, especially by people (like me) with large numbers of accounts.

[Deleted User] · 12 November 2017 at 8:04PM

I renewed my passport in August and there was no footprint.

tenchy · 12 November 2017 at 8:41PM

[quote=[Deleted User];73402310]I renewed my passport in August and there was no footprint.[/QUOTE]

It's only when an adult applies for a first passport.

Government credit check footprint

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