Changing your name on credit reports when accounts show different names

Credit reference agencies receive information from lenders and public records. Your file may contain a former name as well as the name you now use, so that the credit history continues to be associated with the same person. The ICO says UK credit files can include other names used in the previous six years and that the data should accurately reflect your credit history. ICO: credit reference files and correcting information

Ask lenders to update your existing records, keeping the connection to your borrowing history so accounts continue to be reported accurately.

A lender can ask for a deed poll, marriage certificate or other evidence that links the names. Its requirements depend on the account and the contact route. Ask whether it needs the original, a certified copy, an in-branch inspection or an upload. Do not send the only original by post unless the lender expressly asks for it.

A historic name may remain on a credit file to connect accurate financial history and prevent mistaken matching. A request to correct an inaccurate name is different from a request to erase a genuine financial record. The ICO says data must accurately reflect a person’s credit history and advises contacting the agency and original lender if there is an obvious inaccuracy. ICO: credit reference files and correcting information

If privacy concerns are connected with a gender transition, ask the credit reference agency about its process for managing previous names. Experian provides specific guidance for transgender customers. Its process is separate from a deed poll and from the DBS confidential route. Experian: gender transition and credit reports