Notice of Correction#

A Notice of Correction is a note of no more than 200 words that you can add to your credit report, explaining something a lender might otherwise question.

Anyone can add one. The typical uses are:

  • Explaining why you aren't eligible to register on the Electoral Roll.
  • Flagging that you've been the victim of fraud.
  • Giving context to an adverse entry.

Why we don't recommend one for most people#

Three reasons, and they're worth weighing before you add anything.

It slows down every application you make. Most credit applications are assessed automatically. A Notice forces a lender to read it, which means your application must be processed manually. Every one, from then on.

It draws attention to unfavourable details. If the Notice relates to adverse information, it can put the spotlight exactly where you'd rather it wasn't — rather than helping your case.

They've become devalued. Notices are designed to correct an error, not to express a point of view. Because they're so often used for excuses rather than corrections, lenders have learned to weight them accordingly.

For the great majority of situations, correcting the underlying information is a better use of your effort than annotating it. How to dispute credit report errors covers that route.

Adding a Notice of Correction#

If you've thought it through and still want one, write to the credit reference agencies directly and ask them to add it. They must do so within 28 days.

Two constraints on what you can write: the Notice must be suitable for publication, and it cannot be incorrect or defamatory in any way.

Password Notices of Correction#

A Password Notice of Correction — a PNOC — is a Notice containing a password known only to you and the agencies.

Its effect is much stronger than an ordinary Notice. Anyone submitting a credit application in your name needs the password to proceed; without it, the application is automatically rejected.

That makes it a genuine option if you're worried about fraudulent activity on your file, since unauthorised applications get stopped rather than merely scrutinised. The same downside applies, though — your own applications have to be processed manually too.

If you're a victim of fraud, it's worth considering a PNOC alongside Cifas Protective Registration rather than instead of it. What to do after identity fraud sets out the full sequence.

To request one, contact each agency with your proposed password.

Removing a Notice of Correction#

If a Notice is no longer relevant, raise a dispute with the agency reporting it and ask for its removal.

Expect the update within about 28 days.

Notice of Dispute#

This one you don't add — it appears on its own.

When a credit reference agency receives a data dispute in your details, it may temporarily add a Notice of Dispute to your file. It's standardised text, usually along these lines:

It's simply a placeholder, telling anyone viewing your file that some of the information on it is being contested.

Two pieces of good news: it's removed automatically once your dispute is resolved, and it has no impact at all on your score while it's there.

The key things to remember#

  • A Notice of Correction is 200 words you add; a Notice of Dispute appears by itself.
  • A Notice of Correction forces every application to be processed manually.
  • Lenders have devalued them because they're so often used for excuses.
  • Agencies must add or remove one within 28 days.
  • A password Notice blocks unauthorised applications outright — useful after fraud.
  • A Notice of Dispute is temporary, automatic, and harmless to your score.