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What information can be found in the ‘Public Information’ section in your report?’

Below is the type of information you can found in the  'Public Information’ section of your report:
  • Bankruptcies. You can be declared bankrupt if you apply for bankruptcy, a creditor applies for you to be declared bankrupt (if you owe them over £750) or you break the terms of your IVA.  Bankruptcy means that a trustee will be in charge of your finances. You might have to arrange for regular payments and even sell your assets.
  • CCJ’s. If you fail to repay a debt to a lender, they can apply for a judgment from the County Court to get you to pay back the money. 
  • IVA’s. This is a legally binding arrangement set up a by a licensed professional called an Insolvency Practitioner. The arrangement sets out reasonable monthly payments and a time frame for you to repay your creditors. At the end of the agreement, the rest of the debt is written off. During an IVA, all charges and interest are frozen so that your debt isn’t growing, which should help you repay it sooner. To arrange an IVA, it’s best to have a discussion with your creditor. Remember that missing a payment will invalidate the agreement.
Bankruptcies are usually lifted after 12 months, but this information will still remain on your report for 6 years from the issue date, even if you've paid them.
 
If you pay within one month, the CCJ will not show up on your report. But if you pay after one month, the CCJ will show up on your report as ‘satisfied’, and if you fail to pay completely, it will be labelled as ‘unsatisfied’. This information will remain on your credit report for 6 years.
 
If there’s incorrect information in your 'Public Information' section, follow these steps:
  1. Get it amended or removed. It’s best to get incorrect information amended or removed as soon as possible, as this can have an impact on your credit score.
  2. Contact the court directly with your case number (contact details below):
  3. If you’ve paid off this money but it’s still showing as ‘unsatisfied’ on your report, you'll need to send your proof of payment to the court and include the court fee of £15. You will then be sent a certificate of satisfaction from the court. The Registry Trust will be automatically informed of these changes and will let Equifax know. Equifax will update your credit report within one month of your repayment and you should see the changes on your next credit report.

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