Creditworthiness Assessment Bill delayed at Commons

The Creditworthiness Assessment Bill was due to have its second reading debate on Friday, October 26. However, following the delay, a rescheduled second reading has yet to be arranged.

The bill completed its House of Lords stages on July 18, 2018 and was presented to the House of Commons on September 12, 2018.

There has been a concerted campaign to have rental data included in the calculation of credit scores, with proponents arguing it could allow consumers greater access to loans and mortgages.

Rhona Parry, vice president for external affairs – EU, at Equifax said: “The delay in passing the Creditworthiness Assessment Bill means a barrier remains in place for the millions of renters who pay too much for credit when they need to replace a washing machine, buy a car or get a mortgage. The bill shines a light on the penalty renters pay in credit markets because mortgage payments are considered in lending decisions but rent payments are not.

“The government does not need to wait for the bill to be rescheduled to solve this problem. In the Budget, it can reduce the cost of credit for many of the two million families who rent council houses across the UK by allowing all credit reference agencies to access rental data directly from local authorities and encouraging housing associations and large private landlords to do the same.”