What to do if your credit score is affected by NatWest/RBS chaos

When Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) discovered a "computer glitch" that was preventing payments to and from NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank accounts on June 19, it acted quickly to fix the problem.

Nevertheless, the "glitch" affected millions of people, causing a backlog of payments that is still ongoing today.


And many of those caught up in the debacle are rightfully concerned about the impact the problem will have on their credit files.

Here, we look at how this banking failure could affect your credit score and explain what you need to do to repair it.

How could my credit file be damaged?
Missed direct debit and standing order payments are noted on your credit file.

Whether you are a NatWest/RBS customers whose regular payments have not been made as a result of the computer problems, or a worker who has missed payments because your employer banks with NatWest/RBS, one or more black marks could therefore appear on your file as a direct result.

What does this mean for me?
While NatWest/RBS has said that "no customers will be permanently out of pocket", meaning that it plans to refund any charges incurred as a result of its computer issues, it has not confirmed what will happen if these late payments lead to your credit file being damaged.

However, a low credit score could lead to you being refused mortgages, loans, credit cards and even mobile phone contracts for which you apply in the future.

It is therefore vital to ensure that any detrimental mistakes are removed as soon as possible.

How can I repair my credit file?
NatWest has said that any unauthorised borrowing or bounced cheques caused by the glitch will not be recorded on its customers' credit files.

However, customers of other banks are being urged to check their credit files just in case. You can do this by contacting the credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax and Callcredit.

If you find that there is a problem, you can then ask NatWest to remove any default or provide a letter that can be given to the third party that has placed the mark on your file.