Personal information request letter – Data Protection Act
For free & impartial money advice you can visit MoneyHelper. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options. This isn’t a full fact-find, some debt solutions may not be suitable in all circumstances, ongoing fees might apply & your credit rating may be affected.
For free & impartial money advice you can visit MoneyHelper. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options. This isn’t a full fact-find, some debt solutions may not be suitable in all circumstances, ongoing fees might apply & your credit rating may be affected.
Introduction
You can ask for the personal information a company holds about you – including personal data that creditors have on your file. If you want to request personal information, also known as a subject data access request, we’ve made it simple with our free downloadable letter template.
Use this letter template to ask creditors for a copy of the personal information they hold about you. You have the right to do this under the Data Protection Act. Choose from our single or joint letter template depending on your circumstances, and read on below for more information about requesting information from creditors.
Downloadable Resource
The download links below take you to a Google document template where you can make a copy or save in any document format you like. Note, you may have to login to your Google account.
Download – Single (for one person)
Download – Joint (for couples)
Can I request my personal information from creditors?
You have a legal right to request personal information kept on file within companies about you. This means you can ask creditors for a copy of the personal information they hold, and you can even request for some of the personal data to be erased. This is all thanks to the Data Protection Act 2018.
How a debt solution could help
Some debt solutions can:
- Stop nasty calls from creditors
- Freeze interest and charges
- Reduce your monthly payments
A few debt solutions can even result in writing off some of your debt.
Here’s an example:
Situation
Monthly income | £2,504 |
Monthly expenses | £2,345 |
Total debt | £32,049 |
Monthly debt repayments
Before | £587 |
After | £158 |
£429 reduction in monthly payments
If you want to learn what debt solutions are available to you, click the button below to get started.
What is the Data Protection Act in simple terms?
The Data Protection Act governs how a company or organisation must hold or use personal information about individuals. It was revamped of late to accommodate new data protection laws across Europe. In simple terms, it is a way to ensure companies are securing your personal information and not using it illegally.
The Act also permits you to request a copy of your personal information kept on file within businesses.
What personal data is covered by the Data Protection Act?
The Data Protection Act covers personal information that can be used to identify an individual, such as a name, address, contact details, date of birth, ethnicity etc. It covers personal information kept in hard copies of paperwork as well as electronically stored personal information.
How do I write a data protection request?
You can request all your personal data kept on file by your creditors, or you can request specific information. When you write a letter asking for this information, you should make it clear what you are asking.
Our free downloadable data request letters allow you to easily adjust the content to request the information you need, saving you time and worry.
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Does it cost to request personal information?
You should not be charged to receive a copy of the personal information kept on your file as long as your request is reasonable. If you make very difficult or niche requests, you may be asked to pay a fee for the information.
Complain about a creditor that ignores your request
Creditors have one month to respond to your personal data request. If they do not respond during this time, it is recommended to send them a reminder. If they still do not respond in a reasonable time, you can report their behaviour to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner could force your creditor to supply the information you requested.