How long does bankruptcy stay on your credit report?

When does bankruptcy come off your credit report?

Bankruptcy comes off your credit report 6 years after the date of the bankruptcy: GOV.UK says it can stay on your credit reference file for 6 years (opens in a new tab) from that date, even though the bankruptcy itself usually ends after 12 months.

Your credit file is only one of the records. Credit reference agencies are not told directly when your bankruptcy ends; they take that from public records such as the Individual Insolvency Register, which is updated within 3 months of your discharge.

Can I get credit while bankrupt?

You can get credit while bankrupt, but you must tell the lender you are an undischarged bankrupt before you borrow £500 or more, and it is a criminal offence not to (Insolvency Act 1986, section 360 (opens in a new tab); GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).

Credit has a wide meaning here. It includes goods on hire purchase or conditional sale, so car finance counts, and being paid in advance for goods or services you have not yet supplied (section 360(2) (opens in a new tab)).

The same duty carries on after discharge if a bankruptcy restrictions order is in force: you must tell a lender about the order before borrowing £500 or more (section 360(5) (opens in a new tab)).

Can I get a mortgage after bankruptcy?

You can apply for a mortgage after bankruptcy, but lenders can search the Land Charges register, where your name usually stays for 5 years, and the bankruptcy can stay on your credit file for 6 years from its start (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).

Whether a lender offers you a mortgage, and on what terms, is the lender’s decision. We do not arrange mortgages or any other credit.

If you owned a property before the bankruptcy, the restriction on its HM Land Registry entry stays until the trustee has dealt with that property, and the trustee can then remove it.

How do I rebuild my credit after bankruptcy?

You start rebuilding your credit after bankruptcy by getting a copy of your credit reference report and asking the agency to update it if it does not show your discharge correctly, as GOV.UK advises (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).

Keep proof that the bankruptcy has ended. You can email the Insolvency Service for a letter confirming your discharge, and there is no fee; if a court made you bankrupt, you can also apply to that court for a certificate of discharge.

Keep up with what carries on: an income payments agreement until it finishes, and debts the bankruptcy did not cover, such as student loans (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)). If you are comparing options, how an IVA affects your credit file sets out the equivalent dates for an IVA.