Bad credit business loans UK: options, costs and how to apply

Published and reviewed 26 October 2026. General information, not advice. Figures are illustrations, not lender quotes.

The short version

A UK limited company can often still borrow with bad credit, but from fewer lenders, for smaller sums and at a higher price. What matters most is how recent the problem is, whether it is settled, whether it sits on the company’s file or a director’s, and whether the business can clearly afford the repayments today.
CCJs and defaults stay on file for six years. A CCJ paid in full within one month can be removed from the register, and one paid later is marked as satisfied for a £19 court fee. Check the company’s and directors’ files, correct errors and settle what you can before you apply.
Finance backed by something other than your record is usually the easiest to get: asset finance, invoice finance and loans secured on property. Short-term unsecured loans and merchant cash advances are widely available but cost the most.
Bad credit is expensive. On £40,000 over three years, the interest is about £9,200 at 14% and about £25,100 at 35%, a difference of roughly £440 a month. A merchant cash advance of £20,000 repaid at £26,000 over eight months works out at an APR of about 107%.
No genuine lender guarantees approval or asks for a fee before paying out a loan. If the business is already struggling to pay its debts, more borrowing is rarely the answer: speak to an accountant, Business Debtline or a licensed insolvency practitioner first.

What counts as bad credit for a business loan?

There is no single credit score that decides a business loan. A lender looking at a limited company builds a picture from two places: the company’s own credit file and the personal credit files of its directors and main shareholders. “Bad credit” means something on either file that tells the lender a debt was not paid as agreed, or that the business is a higher risk than usual.

The records that most often cause problems are:

County Court Judgments (CCJs). A court order to pay a debt, against the company or a director personally. In Scotland the equivalent is a decree, and Northern Ireland has its own register of judgments.
Defaults. Recorded when a lender or supplier treats an account as broken, usually after three to six months of missed payments.
Missed or late payments. Shown month by month on loans, cards, overdrafts and some trade accounts.
Arrears with HMRC. Unpaid VAT, PAYE or Corporation Tax, which lenders see in bank statements, filed accounts or their own questions.
Personal insolvency of a director. Bankruptcy, an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) or a Debt Relief Order.
A director’s link to a failed company. Lenders look at a director’s past appointments, especially companies that went into liquidation owing money.
Late filing at Companies House. Overdue accounts or confirmation statements lower a company’s score and bring automatic penalties.

A “thin” file is different from a bad one. A new company with no history has nothing negative on record but little to judge either, so it meets many of the same closed doors. Our guide to startup business loans covers that case.

Our upcoming introduction service is limited to UK limited companies borrowing for business purposes, so this guide assumes the borrower is a limited company. Most of the principles apply to any business.

How lenders weigh CCJs, defaults and missed payments

Lenders do not simply count marks on a file. They ask what happened, how long ago, how large it was, whether it is now settled and whether it is likely to happen again. A single satisfied personal CCJ from four years ago and an unpaid company CCJ from last month are both “bad credit”, but they lead to very different answers.

How common credit problems are treated by business lenders
Record	How long it stays	How lenders tend to view it
CCJ paid within one month	Can be removed from the register entirely	Little or no effect once removed. Keep the certificate of cancellation.
CCJ paid later (satisfied)	Six years from the judgment date	Much better than unsatisfied. Recent, large or repeated CCJs still close many doors.
Unsatisfied CCJ	Six years from the judgment date	A serious concern, especially against the company. Many lenders will not proceed until it is paid.
Default	Six years from the default date, even if repaid later	Weight depends on size, age and whether it is settled. A small, old, settled default matters far less.
Missed payments	Shown for up to six years	Recent and repeated missed payments matter more than one late payment years ago.
Director bankruptcy	Six years from the bankruptcy date, even after discharge	Most mainstream lenders decline while it shows. An undischarged bankrupt cannot act as a director without court permission.
Director IVA	Six years from the start, or longer if the IVA lasts longer	Some specialist lenders consider it once completed, with a clear record since.
HMRC arrears	No fixed period. Lenders ask directly and see it in accounts and bank statements.	A kept Time to Pay arrangement reads far better than arrears that have not been discussed with HMRC.

Retention periods are from the GOV.UK guidance on CCJs and the Information Commissioner’s guide to credit files. They apply to the main credit reference agencies’ files. A lender’s own records of how you dealt with it may last longer.

Company file or director file?

For a limited company, both matter, but in different ways. The company’s file decides how a lender scores the business itself. The directors’ files matter because almost every small company loan comes with a personal guarantee, and because a lender reads a director’s personal history as evidence of how the business will be run. A director with a recent personal default can hold back a company with a clean file, and the reverse is also true.

What a business credit score is built from

Business credit reference agencies, mainly Experian, Equifax, Creditsafe and Dun & Bradstreet, score a company from its filed accounts, Companies House filings, CCJs, how promptly it pays suppliers and data shared by banks. Under the Commercial Credit Data Sharing scheme, the largest banks must share data on their small business customers with designated agencies, which pass it to other lenders. That is meant to help smaller lenders see a fuller picture, and it means a well-run business account can work in your favour as well as against you.

Personal scores run on different scales at each agency. Experian now scores from 0 to 1,250, Equifax from 0 to 1,000, and TransUnion is moving from a 0 to 710 scale to 0 to 999 between autumn 2026 and mid 2027. The number you see on a free app is a guide, not the score a lender uses. Lenders apply their own scorecards to the underlying data, so the entries on the file matter more than the number at the top.

Check the company’s and directors’ files before you apply

The single most useful thing you can do is find out exactly what a lender will see, before it sees it. Errors are common: an account that is not yours, a debt shown as unpaid that was settled, an old address or a director linked to the wrong person.

Directors’ personal files

Every director can get their statutory credit report free from each of the three agencies. The ICO confirms there is no fee for a statutory report. Experian, for example, provides one through its statutory report service.
Check all three agencies, not just one. Lenders do not all use the same agency, and the files are not identical.
Look for financial associations. If a director shares a joint account or mortgage with someone else, that person’s record can be linked to theirs. A link that is no longer relevant can be removed by asking the agency for a disassociation.

The company’s file

Buy the company’s report from one or more business agencies. Check the registered address, the directors, the filed accounts and any CCJs.
Check Companies House. Are the accounts and confirmation statement filed and up to date? Is every charge that has been repaid marked as satisfied?
Search the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for the company and each director. An online search costs £6 for one register, £8 for England and Wales and £10 for all the registers it holds, including VAT.

What to do with what you find

Make a short list: each entry, its date, the amount, whether it is settled and the reason it happened. That list becomes the explanation you give lenders, and it shows you which problems can be fixed now and which simply need time.

Fixing, settling and explaining what you find

Some credit problems can be removed. Many more can be improved. All of them can be explained, and a clear explanation backed by evidence is often what moves a borderline application to a yes.

County Court Judgments

Paid within one month of the judgment: ask the court for a certificate of cancellation. The judgment is then removed from the register as if it had never been made.
Paid after one month: it stays on the register for six years but is marked as satisfied. Ask the court for a certificate of satisfaction, using a letter or form N443, for a £19 fee. The register is not always updated automatically, so do it yourself.
Not owed, or you never knew about the claim: you can apply to set the judgment aside, usually with form N244. Under the GOV.UK guidance there may be a court fee of £321, and it is worth taking advice first. A judgment set aside is removed from the register.

Paying an old CCJ does not remove it, but satisfied reads much better than unsatisfied, and many lenders will not proceed while a company CCJ is outstanding. The GOV.UK guidance on CCJs and credit ratings sets out each route.

Wrong or out-of-date entries

Raise an error with the credit reference agency first. It will usually check with the lender that supplied the data. The ICO’s guidance says the agency should respond within 28 days. If the lender insists the entry is right and you disagree, you can complain to the lender and then to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Accurate entries with a story behind them

If an entry is accurate but there was a clear reason, such as a customer’s collapse, a serious illness or a dispute over faulty goods, a director can add a notice of correction of up to 200 words to their personal file. Lenders who search the file will see it. Keep it factual: what happened, when, and what has changed since.

Housekeeping that lifts a company’s score

File overdue accounts and confirmation statements, then file on time from now on.
Pay suppliers who report to the agencies within terms. Payment behaviour feeds the score.
Ask lenders to mark repaid charges as satisfied at Companies House.
Agree a Time to Pay arrangement with HMRC for any tax arrears, and keep to it. HMRC explains how in its guidance on difficulties paying.
Run all business money through the business account. Lenders read bank statements closely, and a well-run account is the best evidence of today’s conduct.

Which finance is realistic with bad credit?

The less a lender has to rely on your credit record, the more likely it is to lend. Finance secured on an asset, on invoices or on property gives the lender another way to be repaid, so your record matters less. Unsecured loans rely almost entirely on the business and its directors, so your record matters most.

Business finance options for companies with adverse credit, October 2026
Option	Why credit matters less	Indicative cost	Watch out for
Asset finance	The vehicle or machine is the security, and the lender owns it until the final payment.	Around 10% to 25% APR with adverse credit, depending on the asset and the deposit.	Larger deposits, shorter terms and loss of the asset if payments stop. Older or specialist assets are harder to fund.
Invoice finance	The lender relies mainly on your customers paying their invoices, not on your record.	A discount charge over Bank Rate plus a service fee, usually within reach of mainstream pricing.	Only works with creditworthy business customers. Debentures, minimum terms and exit fees.
Loan secured on property	Equity in commercial property gives the lender a fall-back.	From about 9% to 15% a year from specialist lenders with adverse credit, more for a second charge.	The property is at risk. Valuation and legal fees, and a lower loan to value.
Bridging loan	Based mostly on the property and a clear exit, such as a sale or refinance.	Often around 0.6% to 1.5% a month plus fees, at the upper end with adverse credit.	Expensive if the exit is late. Only for short, defined needs.
Specialist unsecured loan	Some online lenders score recent bank statements more than history.	Often 20% to 50% APR or more, with smaller limits.	Personal guarantees, short terms and daily or weekly repayments.
Merchant cash advance	Repaid as a share of card takings, so lenders focus on card sales.	A factor rate, often 1.1 to 1.5, which can mean an APR well over 50%.	The equivalent rate rises the faster you trade. Hard to compare.
Community development finance (CDFI)	Not-for-profit lenders set up to lend to viable firms that banks decline.	Usually higher than a bank, lower than short-term finance.	Limited funds, local or sector criteria and a slower process.
Start Up Loan	For founders, not companies. It is a personal loan with a credit check, assessed on the plan and affordability.	7.5% a year, fixed, for £500 to £25,000.	Personal liability. Only for businesses trading less than five years. Not part of our company introduction service.

These ranges are indicative, drawn from published lender information and our other guides, for UK limited companies in October 2026, with Bank Rate at 3.75%. They are not quotes. Lenders price each case individually, and some will offer more or less. For mainstream pricing to compare against, see our guide to business loan interest rates.

Matching the option to the need

Buying vehicles or equipment: asset finance first. A bigger deposit and a hard asset with a strong resale value, such as a van, a tractor unit or plant, give you the best chance.
Customers taking 30 to 90 days to pay: invoice finance, which grows with your sales. Our guide to working capital finance compares it with overdrafts and credit lines.
A one-off larger sum, and you own commercial property: a secured loan or a remortgage. See our guide to commercial remortgages.
A small, short need with no assets: a specialist unsecured loan, kept as short and small as you can manage.

What bad credit costs: worked figures

A credit problem usually shows up in the price before it shows up in a decline. Lenders add a margin for the extra risk, cut the amount, shorten the term or ask for security or a guarantee. The worked figures below show why the price deserves as much attention as the yes.

Worked example: £40,000 over three years at four rates

A limited company borrows £40,000, repaid monthly over 36 months on a reducing balance. Fees are left out to keep the comparison clean. The rates are illustrations of how pricing might move with a credit record, not quotes.

Monthly repayment and total interest on £40,000 over 36 months
Annual rate	Monthly repayment	Total repaid	Total interest
9%, a strong record	About £1,272	About £45,790	About £5,790
14%, a minor, settled problem	About £1,367	About £49,220	About £9,220
22%, recent adverse credit	About £1,528	About £54,990	About £14,990
35%, a specialist short-term lender	About £1,809	About £65,140	About £25,140

Moving from 14% to 35% adds about £442 a month and about £15,900 over the term. That is the price of the credit problem. Clearing a CCJ, waiting a few months for a missed payment to age, or offering security can be worth more than any amount of shopping around.

Worked example: a £20,000 merchant cash advance

A café that takes most of its sales by card is offered £20,000 at a factor rate of 1.3. It repays £26,000, collected as a share of each day’s card takings. The £6,000 cost is fixed, so the equivalent annual rate depends on how quickly the advance is repaid. Assuming roughly equal monthly collections:

Repaid over 12 months: about £2,167 a month, an APR of about 66%.
Repaid over 8 months: about £3,250 a month, an APR of about 107%.
Repaid over 6 months: about £4,333 a month, an APR of about 153%.

A busier café repays faster and pays a higher equivalent rate. Advances can suit a card-taking business that needs money quickly and values repayments that fall in a quiet week, but compare the total repayable in pounds with every other option first.

Two other costs are easy to miss. Broker or arrangement fees are often higher on adverse credit cases, sometimes 3% to 5% of the loan or more, and may be deducted from what you receive. And a personal guarantee turns the company’s cost into a director’s potential liability. Our guide to personal guarantees explains what you would be signing. Our guide to comparing business loans shows how to put offers side by side on the same basis.

Worked example: a joinery company with a satisfied CCJ

This example shows how changing the shape of the request, not just the lender, can change the answer and the cost. The figures are assumptions for the illustration.

Worked example: £60,000 for two vans and a workshop fit-out

A joinery company has traded for six years, with turnover of £680,000 and profit before tax of about £52,000. Two years ago a customer collapsed owing it £38,000, and the company fell behind with a supplier, who obtained a CCJ for £7,400. The company paid it four months later. One director has a settled personal default from the same year.

The company wants £60,000: £48,000 for two used vans and £12,000 for workshop equipment.

Route one: one unsecured loan

The high-street bank declines. A specialist online lender offers £60,000 over three years at 28%, with a personal guarantee from both directors. That is about £2,482 a month and about £29,300 of interest.

Route two: finance each thing against itself

Before applying: the directors ask the court for a certificate of satisfaction for the CCJ (£19), check that the register shows it as satisfied, and prepare a one-page explanation of the customer collapse with the debt schedule and six months of bank statements showing steady balances.
Vans and equipment: £60,000 of assets, with a 10% deposit of £6,000 from cash. An asset finance provider offers hire purchase on £54,000 over four years at 13%. That is about £1,449 a month and about £15,500 of interest.

Route two costs about £1,033 a month less and roughly £13,800 less in interest, even after the company puts in £6,000 of its own cash. It also spreads the cost over the working life of the vans rather than three years. The trade-off is that the vans can be taken back if payments stop, and the company has £6,000 less in the bank.

The lesson applies well beyond joinery. When a credit record limits unsecured borrowing, ask what the money buys and whether that thing can carry the finance itself.

How to improve your chances of approval

These are the levers that most often change a lender’s answer for a company with a past credit problem.

Borrow less, or in stages. A smaller request is a smaller risk. Prove the business can carry a modest facility for six to twelve months, then come back for more. Our guide to how much a business can borrow shows how lenders size a loan from cash flow.
Offer security or a larger deposit. An asset, a charge over property or a bigger deposit lowers the lender’s loss if things go wrong. Our guide to secured vs unsecured business loans weighs the cost against the risk.
Let time work. Six months of clean bank statements and on-time payments after a problem counts for a lot. If the need is not urgent, waiting can cut the price.
Explain upfront, with evidence. Lenders dislike surprises more than history. A short note covering what happened, why, and what has changed, with proof it is settled, reads far better than a problem a lender finds on its own.
Use soft searches first. Ask whether a lender’s eligibility check uses a soft search, which other lenders cannot see. Several full applications in a short time leave hard searches that can look like a business in trouble.
Show current affordability. Up-to-date management accounts, a cash flow forecast and a schedule of every existing debt help a lender see the business as it is now, not as it was when the problem happened.
Use the Bank Referral Scheme after a decline. If one of the nine designated banks declines a business with turnover under £25 million, it must offer, with your consent, to pass your details to designated finance platforms that can match you with other lenders. The government publishes referral figures, and our guide on what to do if you are declined covers the scheme in more detail.
Look at community lenders. Community development finance institutions exist to lend to viable businesses that cannot get bank finance, often with support alongside.
Ask whether the Growth Guarantee Scheme applies. Under the Growth Guarantee Scheme, accredited lenders get a 70% government guarantee on facilities up to £2 million, which can make them more willing to lend. The business is still liable for the whole debt, and the lender still makes its own credit decision. Our Growth Guarantee Scheme guide explains who qualifies.

A broker who knows the specialist market can save time, because they know which lenders accept which kinds of adverse credit. Ask how they are paid, whether they charge you a fee, and how many lenders they work with.

When the problem is a director’s personal credit

Many company applications stall not because of the company’s record but because of a director’s. A personal default, CCJ or IVA can matter even when the company’s file is clean, because lenders read it as a sign of how money is managed and because they often need the director’s guarantee.

Bankruptcy. An undischarged bankrupt cannot act as a company director without the court’s permission, and the same applies under bankruptcy restrictions or a Debt Relief Order. The GOV.UK rules on appointing directors set this out. Bankruptcy stays on the file for six years, even after discharge, and most mainstream lenders decline while it shows.
IVA. An IVA does not stop someone being a director, but it shows on their file for at least six years. Some specialist lenders will consider an application once the IVA is completed and the record since is clean.
A fellow director with a clean record. Where one director has a clean file and the other does not, some lenders will take the guarantee from the director with the stronger record. This should never be the reason someone is appointed or kept as a director, and they need to understand exactly what they are guaranteeing.
Setting up a new company. A new company does not wipe the slate. Lenders look through the company to its directors, and a director with a history of failed companies will be asked about it. A new company also has no trading record, which makes borrowing harder, not easier.

If a founder with a poor personal record is starting out, a Start Up Loan is assessed on the business plan and affordability as well as the credit file. It is a personal loan, and it sits outside our company introduction service.

Warning signs: guaranteed approval and upfront fees

Businesses with poor credit are a favourite target for fraudsters, because they are more likely to have been declined elsewhere and to be under time pressure. Watch for these signs.

“Guaranteed approval” or “no credit checks”. A genuine lender has to assess whether the business can repay. A promise that it will not is a reason to walk away, or at least to read every term very carefully.
A fee before the money is released. The Financial Conduct Authority warns that with loan fee fraud, once the fee is paid, the loan never arrives. Requests are often dressed up as insurance, admin or a “first payment”.
Pressure to decide today, to pay by bank transfer or gift card, or to deal only by mobile phone, WhatsApp or a free email address.
A firm that looks real but is not. Fraudsters clone the names, addresses and registration numbers of genuine firms. Check the FCA Register and contact the firm using the details listed there, not the ones you were given.

Lending to a limited company for business purposes is usually unregulated, so many business lenders do not need FCA authorisation. That makes your own checks more important, not less. Read the agreement, any debenture and any personal guarantee before signing. Many banks follow the Lending Standards Board’s Standards of Lending Practice for business customers, and smaller businesses may be able to take complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

When more borrowing is the wrong answer

Sometimes bad credit is a record of a problem that has passed. Sometimes it is a sign of a problem that is still happening. If the company is already struggling to pay suppliers, HMRC or existing lenders, a new high-cost loan usually buys a few weeks and makes the next gap bigger.

Signs that it is time for advice rather than finance:

you are borrowing to make repayments on other borrowing;
HMRC arrears are growing and there is no Time to Pay arrangement;
suppliers are moving you to cash on delivery or issuing statutory demands;
the company could not pay its debts as they fall due, or owes more than it owns.

Once a company is, or is likely to become, insolvent, directors must put creditors’ interests first. Taking on new debt the company cannot repay can expose directors to personal liability. Free, confidential help is available from Business Debtline, and a licensed insolvency practitioner can explain options such as a Company Voluntary Arrangement while there is still time to use them. Your accountant is often the best first call.

Applying for a business loan with bad credit: nine steps

Define the need. The amount, what it is for and when you need it. Separate the essential from the nice to have.
Pull every file. Each director’s statutory report from all three agencies, the company’s business report and a Register of Judgments search.
Fix what can be fixed. Correct errors, apply for certificates of cancellation or satisfaction, file anything overdue and agree Time to Pay with HMRC if needed.
Write the explanation. One page: what happened, when, how it was settled and what has changed since, with evidence.
Run your own numbers. Use the business loan calculator at two or three rates and check the repayment still fits your quietest month.
Pick the route that relies least on your record. Asset finance for assets, invoice finance for slow-paying customers, secured lending if you have property equity.
Use soft searches and apply selectively. One or two well-chosen applications beat ten speculative ones.
Compare in pounds. Total repayable, fees, term, security, personal guarantees and early repayment terms for each offer.
Read before you sign. Check the facility letter, any debenture and any guarantee, and take independent advice if the terms are unclear.

Our borrowing checklist and step-by-step guide on how to get a business loan cover the wider preparation that applies to any application.

Common questions

Can a limited company get a business loan with bad credit?

Often, yes, but from fewer lenders, for smaller amounts and at a higher price. Lenders look at how recent and serious the problem is, whether it is settled, whether it sits on the company’s file or a director’s, and whether the business can afford the repayments now. Asset finance, invoice finance and loans secured on property are usually easier to get than unsecured loans.

Does a director’s personal credit affect a company loan?

Usually, yes. Most small company loans need a personal guarantee from the directors, and lenders read a director’s personal record as a guide to how the business is run. A recent default, CCJ, IVA or bankruptcy on a director’s file can hold back a company with a clean record.

How long does a CCJ stay on a credit file?

Six years from the date of the judgment. If it is paid in full within one month, you can ask the court to remove it from the register. If it is paid later, it stays for six years but is marked as satisfied, which lenders view much more favourably than an unpaid judgment.

How much does it cost to mark a CCJ as satisfied?

Applying to the court for a certificate of satisfaction or cancellation, by letter or on form N443, costs £19. Do it yourself once the debt is paid, because the register is not always updated automatically.

How long do defaults and missed payments stay on file?

Six years. A default stays for six years from the date it was recorded, even if you repay it later. Missed payments are shown for up to six years. Older, settled entries carry less weight with lenders than recent ones.

Which type of business finance is easiest to get with bad credit?

Finance backed by something other than your record. Asset finance is secured on the vehicle or equipment, invoice finance relies mainly on your customers paying, and secured loans rely on property equity. Merchant cash advances and short-term unsecured loans are also widely available but are the most expensive.

How much more does a bad credit business loan cost?

It depends on the problem and the product. As an illustration, £40,000 over three years costs about £9,200 in interest at 14% and about £25,100 at 35%, roughly £440 a month more. Compare offers on the total repayable in pounds, including fees.

Are there guaranteed approval business loans for bad credit?

No genuine lender can guarantee approval, because it has to check that the business can repay. Treat “guaranteed approval” and any request for a fee before a loan is paid out as warning signs. The FCA warns that with loan fee fraud, the loan never arrives once the fee is paid.

Will checking my eligibility hurt my credit score?

Not if the lender uses a soft search, which only you can see. A full application usually leaves a hard search that other lenders can see. Several hard searches in a short time can suggest a business under pressure, so ask which kind of search a lender uses and apply selectively.

Can I get a business loan with a CCJ?

Sometimes. A small, satisfied CCJ that is a few years old is accepted by many specialist lenders, especially where security is offered. An unsatisfied CCJ against the company is a serious obstacle, and many lenders will not proceed until it is paid.

Can I be a company director if I am bankrupt?

Not without the court’s permission while you are an undischarged bankrupt, or while you are subject to bankruptcy restrictions or a Debt Relief Order. An IVA does not prevent you being a director, though it will show on your personal credit file and affect lending decisions.

Does starting a new limited company give me a clean credit record?

No. A new company has no negative record but no positive one either, and lenders look through the company to its directors’ personal histories and past companies. Starting again usually makes borrowing harder in the short term, not easier.

What should I do if my bank declines me because of bad credit?

Ask for the reasons, fix what you can and ask to be referred under the Bank Referral Scheme. If you bank with one of the nine designated banks and your turnover is under £25 million, it must offer, with your consent, to pass your details to designated finance platforms that can match you with other lenders.

Is a bad credit business loan regulated by the FCA?

Lending to a limited company for business purposes is generally unregulated, so you have fewer protections than with personal borrowing. Check who you are dealing with, read the facility letter and any personal guarantee carefully, and take independent advice if anything is unclear.

Sources, checked 26 October 2026

GOV.UK: County Court Judgments for debt, CCJs and your credit rating

GOV.UK: cancelling or setting aside a judgment

Registry Trust: Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, search fees

Information Commissioner’s Office: credit files and statutory credit reports

Information Commissioner’s Office: Credit Explained, retention periods and notices of correction

Experian: free statutory credit report

Experian: credit score scale, 0 to 1,250

Small and Medium Sized Business (Credit Information) Regulations 2015

HM Treasury: post-implementation review of the Commercial Credit Data Sharing scheme

HM Treasury: Bank Referral Scheme statistics, July 2026

Small and Medium Sized Business (Finance Platforms) Regulations 2015