You have the right to see the personal information that organisations hold about you. You also have the right to get inaccurate information corrected.
The Data Protection Act gives you the right to ask organisations what personal information they are holding about you. This is called a subject access request, because you are the subject of the data that is being held.
What kind of information can I access?
By making a subject access request, you can gain access to information such as your examination records, credit file or medical records.
The kind of organisations that may hold your personal information include the following;
- your university or school
- banks and credit card companies
- hospitals and doctors
- your present or past employer
- libraries and local authorities
- online shops
A subject access request must include enough detail to enable the organisation to find the information you are looking for and also confirm that you are the person whom the information belongs to. Your request must be made in writing. Make sure you send your request by recorded delivery and remember to keep copies of all your letters.
View our example letter
A fee of no more than £10 may be payable for each request, however this may increase depending on the information you have asked for, for example health records are charged at a higher fee. Once the fee is paid, the organisation must reply to you within 40 days. If you do not receive a reply, resend your letter as a reminder.
When the organisation replies, they should include a full copy of the information they hold about you. If the organisation does not hold any data about you, they must reply and let you know this.
What information can’t I see?
Some information may be held back, for example:
- If it could identify someone else and that person does not wish to be identified.
- If you are being investigated about a crime.
How do I get my credit file?
Credit reference agencies provide banks and other lenders with information about borrowers eg previous credit history. They then use this information to make lending decisions including how easy it might be for you to pay the money back. This information is called your credit reference file or your credit report.
If you would like to see your credit file, you can write to the three main credit reference agencies – Equifax, Experian and Callcredit. Ask for your personal credit file. It will cost £2.00.
View our example letter to request your credit file
If you believe your request to see this information has been refused wrongly, please contact us on 0303 123 1113 for further advice.
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