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A notice of correction is a short written statement, typically around 200 words, that you can ask a credit reference agency to add to an account on your credit file. It doesn’t remove or change the underlying information, a default marker, missed payment or CCJ stays exactly as it was, but it sits alongside the entry so that anyone reading your file, including a mortgage lender, can see your explanation.
When would you use a notice of correction?
A notice of correction is for accurate information you can’t get removed, but where the circumstances matter. Common examples include:
- A default that followed redundancy or a serious illness, where payments later resumed
- Missed payments during a relationship breakdown or bereavement
- A dispute with a supplier or landlord that led to a default you felt was unfair, even though the account itself is correctly recorded
- Arrears caused by a temporary reduction in income that has since recovered
It’s a different tool from disputing an entry. If the account itself is wrong, the wrong date, the wrong amount, or not even yours, that’s a factual dispute, not something a notice of correction fixes. Our guide on how to correct errors on your credit file covers that route.
A notice of correction is also different from asking for information to be deleted early. Credit reference agencies won’t remove a correctly recorded default, missed payment or CCJ just because you’d rather it wasn’t there, and a notice of correction doesn’t ask them to. It simply adds your own short account of events next to the entry, so a reader has both pieces of information together.
How to add a notice of correction
- Contact the credit reference agency holding the account, Experian, Equifax or TransUnion, since you may need to do this separately with each one that holds the entry.
- Write a short, factual explanation of the circumstances. Focus on what happened and when, rather than a long personal account.
- The agency reviews the wording and may ask you to shorten or amend it before agreeing to add it.
- Once agreed, the note is attached to the relevant entry and shown to anyone who views your file with that agency, including lenders.
Because each credit reference agency holds its own version of your file, a notice added with one agency doesn’t automatically appear on the others. If the entry you’re explaining shows on all three, you’ll usually need to repeat the process with each one separately, which takes a bit of extra time but is worth doing if you want a consistent picture wherever a lender happens to check.
What a notice of correction can and can’t do
| Can do | Can’t do |
|---|---|
| Add context explaining accurate information | Remove a default, CCJ or missed payment |
| Be seen by lenders who check your file with that agency | Shorten the 6-year record period |
| Be updated or removed later if it’s no longer relevant | Guarantee a lender treats the account differently |
| Sit alongside genuinely correct information | Replace a dispute if the information is factually wrong |
Do lenders actually read notices of correction?
Some lenders and advisers do take a notice of correction into account when assessing an application, but it depends on the lender’s own process, and there’s no rule requiring every lender to read or act on one. It’s generally most useful alongside an open conversation with a mortgage adviser, rather than relied on by itself. Our guide on explaining bad credit to a mortgage adviser covers how to have that conversation clearly.
Notice of correction or raising a dispute?
It’s easy to confuse the two, since both involve contacting a credit reference agency about an entry on your file.
| Notice of correction | Dispute | |
|---|---|---|
| Used when | The information is accurate but needs context | The information is factually wrong |
| Effect | Adds an explanation alongside the entry | Can lead to the entry being corrected or removed |
| Timeframe | Reviewed by the agency before being added | Investigated, often within around 28 days |
If you’re not sure which applies, start by checking your report carefully. If a date, amount or account looks wrong, that’s a dispute. If everything is accurate but you want to explain what happened, a notice of correction is the better fit. You can use both at different times on the same file, since disputing a factual error on one account doesn’t stop you adding a notice of correction to explain a different, accurate entry elsewhere.
Keeping the wording useful
A notice of correction works best when it’s short, factual and specific. A brief note that a default followed several months without income, and that payments resumed once that income returned, tends to be more useful to a reader than a longer, more general explanation. Avoid anything that could look like an attempt to argue the entry itself is wrong, since that’s what a dispute is for, and mixing the two can make both harder for the agency to process cleanly.
What this means for remortgaging with adverse credit
A notice of correction won’t change how long a default, CCJ or missed payment stays on your file, and it isn’t something to rely on instead of talking openly with an adviser. What it can do is give useful background if a lender’s underwriter looks closely at your file, particularly where a default followed something temporary that has since resolved, such as a period without income.
If you’re preparing to remortgage with defaults, mortgage arrears or a lower credit score generally, it’s worth adding a notice of correction where the circumstances genuinely help explain your history, and then discussing the same background directly with your adviser so nothing depends on a lender reading a 200-word note. Free, impartial help is available from MoneyHelper and StepChange if money worries are part of the picture.
Frequently asked questions
Does a notice of correction remove a default or CCJ from my file?
No. It sits alongside the entry and adds your explanation, but the default, missed payment or judgment stays on your file for the usual 6 years. It's a way to add context, not to change or shorten the record itself.
Is a notice of correction the same as disputing an error?
No. A dispute is for information that is factually wrong, such as the wrong date or an account that isn't yours. A notice of correction is for information that's accurate but where you want to explain the circumstances behind it.
Will every lender read my notice of correction?
Not necessarily. Some lenders and advisers read notices of correction as part of assessing an application, but it depends on their own process, and a notice doesn't obligate anyone to change a decision. It's best used alongside talking to an adviser directly.
How long can a notice of correction be?
Credit reference agencies typically ask for a short, factual statement, often around 200 words, rather than a long account. Agencies may ask you to shorten or amend the wording before it's added to your file, and it's worth keeping the tone factual rather than emotive, since a clear, concise explanation is more likely to be read and understood by anyone checking your file later.