Credit Reference Agencies

By law, Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council supplies elector data to Credit Reference Agencies.  The information supplied to them is marked with a "Z" marker to show who has opted out of the Edited Register, and who is happy to have their details passed on to a third party.

The Credit Reference Agencies use this information if you are applying for credit or want to open a bank account.

Please note that Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council has not and will not supply any electoral information directly to companies who publish Electoral Data on websites.

How and when is Electoral Registration information given to Credit Reference Agencies?

Before any data is passed to Credit Reference Agencies, the Agency must pay the appropriate fee and provide a copy of its current Licence as proof of its entitlement.  They may then receive (by e-mail) electoral data for the constituency.  Any elector who has "opted out" of the Edited Register has a "Z" marker against their name.

Supply of the Published Register:-

Elector information that was contained on the 2009 Register of Electors as at the publication date of 24th November 2008 was supplied to the following Credit Reference Agencies in a datafile as stated below:-

• Equifax PLC - 26th November 2008

The "full" version of the published Register contained 74,282 names.  A total of 44,421 electors had exercised their right to have their names excluded from the "edited" version of the Register.  The Edited Regiser therefore contained 29,861 names.

How to obtain a copy of your Credit Report:-

Should you wish to obtain a copy of your Credit Report, you will need to contact Credit Reference Agency and pay the appropriate fee.  The three main Credit Reference Agencies' contact details are shown below:-

• Callcredit PLC - Consumer Services Team, P.O. Box 491, Leeds, LS31 1WZ.  (Telephone 0870 060 1414);  (Website:  http://www.callcredit.co.uk).
• Equifax PLC - P.O. Box 1140, Bradford, D=BD1 5US.  (Telephone 0870 010 0583);  (Website:  http://www.equifax.co.uk/).
• Experian Limited - P.O. Box 9000, Nottingham, NG80 7WP.  (Telephone 0870 241 6212);  (Website: http://www.experian.co.uk/).

Identity Theft - Don't Become a Victim:-

The Home Office recommends that you should regularly get a copy of your personal credit file from a Credit Reference Agency, to see if it includes any entries that you do not recognise.

Royal Mail offers a re-direction service to help prevent identity fraud when you move house.  You should also tell your bank, credit card company and all other organisations that you deal with as soon as possible.  To check that your personal details are secure, get a copy of your credit file approximately 2-3 months after moving.

Cancel any lost or stolen credit/debit cards immediately and make sure you your driving licence and passport are kept securely.  Keep a note of the emergency numbers you should call if any of these items go missing.

Always keep your personal information secure when using your credit/debit card over the phone, on the internet or in shops.  Make sure that nobody sees or overhears your personal information.

Shred or burn any personal mail that is no longer required, to destroy evidence of your name, address, passwords and/or account numbers.

By law, you should also change your details as soon as possible on the Register of Electors. 

Further information can be obtained on http://www.identitytheft.org.uk/.