Credit Score Basics > How the Experian Statutory Credit Report works

How the Experian Statutory Credit Report works

The Experian Statutory Credit Report is a free, standard report showing your credit history.

According to the Consumer Credit Act 1974, credit reference agencies (CRAs) like Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion must provide you with a free, basic credit report called a "statutory credit report".

What's in my Experian Statutory Credit Report?

Your Statutory Credit Report shows a basic view of your credit history. It shows things like:

• personal details;
• financial links to other people;
• whether you registered to vote;
• your credit accounts;
• any missed payments;
• any defaults
• any CCJs (county court judgements);
• any IVAs (individual voluntary arrangements);
• and every single hard check on your credit file from the past two years.

Does my Experian Statutory Report also show my credit score?

Unfortunately, the statutory credit report does not include your credit score. It's really just a view of your recent credit history.

If you're thinking about taking out a loan or mortgage, you should probably get both the Statutory Report and your credit score.

You can do this for free by opening an Experian account or from an app like CheckMyFile.

How is the Experian Statutory Credit Report different from the ones Equifax and TransUnion provide?

While they calculate credit scores slightly differently, the credit reports you can get from these three credit reference agencies are not significantly different.

The only things that might not be 100% the same will be your credit accounts – some different banks, lenders, and credit card providers will only send data to one or two agencies, not all three.

It's also possible that recent data might not update at the same time across all three CRAs. For example, one of them might show your registration on the electoral roll sooner, and so on. But in most cases, they will update at around the same time.

Overall, expect a report from Experian to be similar to one from Equifax or TransUnion. We recommend you request the one that you know the lender will most likely be interested in. Again, different banks will work with different CRAs.

How does the Experian Statutory Credit Report differ from a regular Experian credit score?

Experian offers multiple products related to credit history:

• A Statutory Credit Report (free);
• A basic Experian account (also free);
• And a paid Experian CreditExpert subscription.

The Experian Statutory Report only shows your basic credit history.

The Experian free account does not show your credit report at all, but it does show your credit score, and it also updates you monthly. It also lets you use Experian Boost, a feature that allows you to connect your bank account to Experian so that some of your regular payments (like your Netflix) can count towards your credit score.

The CreditExpert subscription lets you see both your credit report and credit score, and more:

• It updates daily;
• It has an eligibility checker so you can see if you could be approved for a loan without applying;
• It also scans the internet and your report for signs of fraud.
• It even lets you lock your credit report so fraudsters can’t try to get loans in your name.

How do I get my Experian Statutory Credit Report?

There are two ways to get your statutory credit report from Experian: applying online or by post. When you apply, you'll have to provide all your previous UK addresses from the past six years. This allows you to see your report just as a lender would.

To order your statutory report online, simply go to Experian's "Order Your Statutory Report" page.

Here, you'll have the option to receive it online or by post. If you choose the online option, you will be sent a "passkey" code that allows you to log in securely. Even if you view the report online, you'll still have to be mailed the code by post.

If you want to receive your statutory credit report by post, you'll have to download the application form from the same page, fill it in, and mail it to Experian.

Experian's address is:

Experian Ltd

Customer Support Centre

PO Box 8000

Nottingham

NG80 7WF

Both of these options allow you to get your personal statutory credit report.

But businesses also have a separate statutory credit report – and if you want to apply for credit for your sole trader businesses, then you'll need this report instead.

How can I get my Statutory Credit Report if I'm self-employed?

If you are a sole trader, you also have a separate credit report called a Non-Limited Business report. The only way to get this is by post.

Download the Non-Limited Business report application form from the same "Order your Statutory Credit Report" Experian page, fill it in, and send it to the same address.

Why should I get my Statutory Credit Report?

There is very little you personally can do with a credit report. Lenders don't need you to print and give it to them – they will access it directly.

You should check your own Statutory Credit Report for two reasons: to understand what lenders see and to check and report any errors that might be in there.

Some common things that crop up in credit reports and should be reported:

• old addresses showing as current;
• links to ex-spouses or even flatmates from years ago;
• defaults that have been paid off but still show up;
• or any signs of identity fraud, like open accounts that you don't recognise.

If you see any of these things in your Experian statutory credit report, contact Experian and the person or company in question if necessary.

And, of course, remember that the statutory credit report is only a piece of the puzzle. Lenders will also look at your full credit report and score – which is why it's a good idea to download a credit-building app like Wollit.

For £9.99 a month, Wollit enriches your credit history, boosts your credit score, and shows lenders that you're responsible.

We do this by reporting your monthly plan payments as well as your rent payments to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

Wollit even tracks your spending on Buy Now Pay Later plans so you don't miss any repayments, keeping your credit report in the best shape possible.

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