What you need to know about County Court Judgments (CCJ)

If a lender can’t get their money back from you, they may apply for a County Court Judgment (CCJ) to get the money that way. If you have one of these, it means the court has ordered you to pay back what you owe. The credit reference agencies receive court information from the Registry Trust.

A CCJ on your credit report will lower your credit score. Lenders, landlords, and employers see CCJs as a risk – so it can impact your ability to get credit, rent a property, or find a job in some cases.

It will remain on your credit report for six years, even if the judgment is paid. But if you pay back all the money you owe within a month of the CCJ being issued, it will be removed from your credit report.

The credit reference agencies get a limited amount of information from the Registry Trust:

• Date of issue.

• Name.

• Address.

• Case reference.

• Judgment amount.

• Judgment status.

If you have a CCJ, you’ll be able to see it in the Court Information section of your Checkmyfile report.

To find out more about the CCJ, or if you think the information is wrong, you’ll need contact the court directly. Simply give them the case number and they’ll be able to investigate.

If you can’t pay the full amount in one go, the lender may offer a monthly instalment plan so you can start taking positive steps to repay the debt.

You should see your score begin to grow when the CCJ drops off your credit report, as long as you maintain your other credit agreements positively in the meantime.