How Often Does Your Credit Score Update in the UK? (2026 Guide)

Say you've experienced a hiccup in your ability to repay a loan and it negatively affected your credit score. Suddenly the new house you wanted felt a lot further away than it did a few months previously because you couldn't find a mortgage with a reasonable interest rate. But after a few months of hard work and perseverance, you've been responsible — you've paid all your bills on time and in full, you've maintained low credit utilisation, and you've gotten back on track to healthier finances.

But your credit score doesn't reflect your improvements. 

How much longer do you have to wait to access a reasonable mortgage contract?

This is the reality for far too many people, so here we'll go over how often your credit score updates in the UK, what influences the timing, and what you can do to see improvements faster.

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What Is a Credit Score Update?

You may think that your credit score can change on a day-to-day basis, but this is actually not the case. Changes to your score only happen when new data is reported, which is not in real time.

What Triggers a Credit Score Change?

For better or for worse, the following factors can affect your credit score:

• New credit applications: When you apply for new lines of credit, lenders often do hard credit checks, which can negatively impact your credit score temporarily. 
• Registering on the electoral roll: Most people in the UK aren't aware that registering on the electoral roll benefits their credit score. Be sure to enroll at your current address; and if you change addresses, be sure to update the electoral register.
• Payments made or missed: Paying off or missing a payment on a credit card, loan, or mortgage will cause your credit score to increase or decrease accordingly. Be sure to schedule automated payments to avoid easy missteps.
• Credit utilisation changes: Your credit utilisation is one of the most significant portions of your credit score. It's calculated by Total balance owed ÷ Total credit limit × 100. Say for instance your credit card limit is £1,000 and you’re carrying a £500 balance, your utilisation would be 50%. A utilisation ratio of 30% or below is ideal. Anything 50% or above starts to raise red flags to lenders because it indicates that you are dependent on credit.
• New accounts opened or closed: Closing an account can sometimes lower your credit score since it shortens the length of your credit history. Meanwhile new accounts can hurt briefly (due to hard credit checks and reduced account age), but help in the long run if they're properly managed.
• Defaults, CCJs, or other negative marks: Defaults and CCJs appear on your credit report for six years, even if they are marked as 'satisfied'. These can severely damage your credit score.

The point is that all of the above can change your credit score, but may not be reflected immediately.

Know When Your Score Has Been Updated with Pave

Credit tracking apps can keep you updated with changes in your credit score. Pave for instance is the only app in the UK that allows you to see both TransUnion and Equifax credit scores in the same place without using a hard credit check. 

It also allows you to set up priority bill alerts and protection for your score, rewards you for paying bills on time, and will give you your money back after twelve months if your score doesn't improve.

Pave was designed from the ground up to be your number one resource for credit improvement in the UK. Through supported learning, smart protection, and active credit building options, we're dedicated to paving the road to healthier finances so you can access better loan options and worry less about your bank account. 

Find out why hundreds of thousands trust Pave to improve their credit score by getting started in less than three minutes!

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