If you've been refused a loan or credit, or you're worried that you might be, you can check the information that's kept about you. If it's wrong you can ask for it to be corrected. If the information is correct and you're worried about your debts you can get free help.

It is usually in the interest of credit providers to lend as much money as they can. However, none of us has a right to credit. Every time credit is given, there is a risk that it may not be repaid. And so, credit providers take what steps they can to make sure they only offer credit to applicants who represent an acceptable risk. We've probably seen the signs in shops, saying 'Please do not ask for credit as a refusal often offends'. People who are refused credit by a credit provider are similarly often offended. We hope that the following information will go some way to explaining why credit is sometimes refused. We also say what you can do about it if you think it has been wrongly refused.

There could be many reasons why a lender has refused to give you credit. You may have too many debts already to pass their credit scoring check or personal information on your credit report might be incorrect.

If you are declined credit the lender should tell you the main reason for this - whether their decision was based upon a credit score, information held on your credit report or on their own specific policy. If the decision was based upon your credit report, the lender should tell you the name and address of the credit reference agency they used.