How to dispute your credit file: step-by-step guide
Found an error on your credit file and not sure where to start? You’re in the right place. The process is free, it’s your legal right, and the CRA must respond within 28 days.
This guide walks you through every step — from checking your report to submitting your dispute to escalating if they push back.
Key takeaways
- It’s completely free. It’s your legal right under the Consumer Credit Act and UK GDPR.
- Check all three CRAs: Experian (free account), Equifax (via ClearScore), TransUnion (via Credit Karma).
- Gather your evidence first. Bank statements and lender correspondence are the most effective.
- Contact the lender directly as well as the CRA — it’s usually faster.
- If they say no, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman (free) or ICO.
Step 1: Check all three credit reports
You need to check all three CRAs because lenders may report to one, two, or all three. An error on Experian may not appear on Equifax or TransUnion.
All statutory reports are free by law.
Experian: Sign up for a free account at experian.co.uk. Or request a statutory report at stat.experian.co.uk.
Equifax: Check for free via ClearScore (clearscore.com). Or request a statutory report at equifax.co.uk/products/credit/statutory-report.
TransUnion: Check for free via Credit Karma (creditkarma.co.uk). Or request a statutory report at transunionstatreport.co.uk.
Step 2: Spot what’s wrong
Look for: incorrect late payment markers, defaults you don’t recognise or that were incorrectly registered, accounts that aren’t yours, duplicate entries, incorrect balances, old data that should have been removed (6+ years), incorrect personal details, financial associations with people you’re no longer linked to, and unauthorised hard searches.
Note exactly which entry is wrong, on which CRA, and what’s incorrect about it.
Step 3: Get your evidence together
Your dispute is much more likely to succeed with evidence. The type of evidence depends on the error:
Late payments: bank statements showing on-time payment. Defaults: copy of the Default Notice (or proof one was never sent). CCJs: Certificate of Cancellation or Satisfaction. Fraud: Action Fraud crime reference number. Incorrect balance: latest lender statement. Old debt: credit report showing the entry date.
Always send copies, never originals.
Step 4: Go to the lender first
Before (or alongside) disputing with the CRA, contact the lender directly. They own the data and can correct it faster than the CRA route.
Explain the error clearly, provide evidence, and ask them to update the information with all CRAs they report to. Keep a record of all communications.
Step 5: Submit your dispute to the CRA
Submit a dispute with each CRA where the error appears.
Experian: Log in and submit via your account. Or post to PO Box 9000, Nottingham, NG80 7WP. Or email [email protected].
Equifax: Use the Online Help portal at help.equifax.co.uk/EquifaxOnlineHelp. Or post to PO Box 10036, Leicester, LE3 4FS.
TransUnion: Use transunionstatreport.co.uk (click “Something not right?”). Or post to PO Box 647, Hull, HU9 9QZ. Or email [email protected].
Step 6: Wait (they have 28 days)
The CRA must respond within 28 days under the Consumer Credit Act. They contact the lender, who investigates and responds. During investigation, a dispute marker is added to the entry on your report.
Outcomes: the data is corrected (you win), the data is confirmed as accurate (dispute rejected), or the lender doesn’t respond (TransUnion’s stated policy is to suppress or remove the data; other CRAs may differ).
Step 7: What if they say no?
If the CRA or lender rejects your dispute, you have options:
Add a Notice of Correction
a 200-word statement on your file explaining your side. Statutory right under CCA s.159.
File a formal complaint with the lender
they have 8 weeks to respond.
Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)
free, can order correction and award compensation up to £445,000. Contact: 0300 123 9 123.
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
for data protection breaches. Contact: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.
FAQs
Does it cost anything?
Not a penny. Disputing errors on your credit file is completely free. It’s your legal right.
How long does the whole thing take?
CRAs must respond within 28 days. Many disputes get sorted in 2–3 weeks. Complex cases (fraud, set-aside CCJs) can take longer.
Can I do this online or do I need to post a letter?
All three CRAs accept disputes online, by email, and by post. Online is fastest for simple disputes. Letters are useful for complex cases or when you want a paper trail.
The same error is on all three CRAs. Do I dispute three times?
Yes, you need to dispute with each CRA separately. But a quicker route: contact the lender directly. They can update all CRAs they report to at once.
Could disputing actually hurt my score?
No. Raising a dispute has zero negative impact on your credit score. A dispute marker is added to the entry while it’s being investigated, but this is neutral.
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How to dispute a late payment on your credit file
How to dispute incorrect late payment markers on your UK credit report. Evidence needed, sample letter, and how to file with each CRA.
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