How does the electoral roll affect your credit score?

How much will my credit score go up if I’m on the electoral roll?

Registering on the electoral roll is a quick, easy way to improve your credit score, as well as a system that allows you to vote. But when it comes to your credit rating, you might want to know just how much the electoral roll affects it, and whether or not voting can make any difference at all to your ability to get approved for credit. We’ve got the answers to all your questions. 

What is the electoral roll?

The electoral roll, or the electoral register, is a list of everyone who’s entitled to vote. Being on this list allows you to vote in any UK government election. You’ll be asked every year if your details on the electoral roll are correct, such as your name and address, as part of something called the annual canvas. 

You must register on the electoral roll if an electoral registration officer asks you to do so, and failure to do this could result in a £1,000 fine. However, being on it doesn’t mean you have to vote, and you don’t have to register if you have a valid reason not to, such as a long-term illness or severe learning difficulty. 

What are the benefits of being on the electoral roll?

The main benefit of being on the electoral roll is what the name suggests: you’ll be registered to vote in any election. That means you get to help decide who future Prime Ministers will be, who runs your local council, and in some places even who gets to be mayor. But away from ticking boxes in village halls, the electoral roll also comes with lots of other perks:

1. It improves your credit score
   The electoral roll confirms your name and address, both things that show lenders that you are a real person with a real home. This builds trust, and improves your score as a result.

2. It gives you access to more services
   Getting your passport or applying for a driving license all use information on the electoral roll, while it can also help you apply for insurance or legal services.

3. It saves you time
   When you apply for credit, lenders will use the information held on the electoral roll to confirm your identity. If they can’t do this, the process could take much longer.

4. It can protect you against fraud
   Keeping your details up to date on the electoral roll can help prevent your identity being misused for fraud.

5. It can even help you apply for jobs
   Depending on the sector you want to work in, some employers will use the electoral roll to prove you are who you say you are.

How does the electoral roll impact your credit score?

Lenders will want to know that any credit application isn’t fraudulent, so they’ll use the electoral roll to confirm your identity and your address. If they can’t find you on the electoral roll, or the details you’ve given them don’t match what they do find, they won’t be able to confirm your identity and your application might be rejected. 

Every time an application is rejected, it negatively impacts your credit score, which could make it harder to apply for credit in the future. This creates a kind of cycle of rejections, which will make your credit score even worse, even if your credit history is generally good. 

By being on the electoral roll, you miss all of these obstacles out, giving lenders everything they need to confirm you are the person applying for the money, and getting the process off to the best possible start. 

While there’s no hard and fast figure on how much your credit score will go up by being on the electoral roll, it will definitely improve it, and when combined with other things, it will make you more appealing to future credit suppliers. 

How do you get on the electoral roll?

You can register for the electoral roll on the government’s ‘Register to Vote’ page. You’ll need to be a British or Irish citizen to be eligible, or a citizen from another EU country who’s been given permission to stay in the UK. 

What if you can’t get on the electoral roll?

Anyone who is a citizen of Britain or Ireland, or an EU citizen with permission to stay in the UK, is eligible to get on the electoral roll. The only reasons you may choose to opt out are if you have a long-term illness or a severe learning difficulty. By not registering to vote, not only can you not take part in any UK elections, but you will also find it harder to apply for credit and access other services, such as passports, insurance, legal aid or a driving licence. 

Does not voting affect your credit score?

Whether you choose to vote or not will not affect your credit score. The decision to vote is entirely up to you, and lenders won’t be able to tell whether you do vote, or who you vote for.

Check your credit score for free on the Boshhh Mobile app

It’s important you stay on top of how your credit score is performing. You can check it for free on the Boshhh Mobile app (available on iOS and Android), where you’ll also be able to find a range of credit building SIMs to help boost your score quickly.