In an update for his Money Saving Expert newsletter, he said: “The biggest UK credit reference agency has announced a change… Experian’s Credit Score will soon be out of 1,250, not the current 999, and millions will see their ranking drop (more below).
“That sounds concerning, but actually each lender scores you based on its own wish-list of what is a profitable customer. What really counts is how you manage how lenders see you.”
Is it true that the UK doesn’t have a single credit score?
Martin says yes, that’s true – it’s more of a number of different scores: “While the three big UK credit reference agencies (CRAs) each offer a ‘Credit Score’, that’s just their illustration of how a typical lender may see things. It’s certainly a useful rough indication, but it’s neither definitive nor used by most lenders. After all, they’re not even all out of the same score: TransUnion’s max is 710, Equifax’s is 1,000 and Experian’s 999, soon to be 1,250 (I wouldn’t be surprised if the others rose soon too).
He added: “In practice, each lender does its own credit score based on its specific wish list of what makes a profitable customer. Usually, profitability correlates to low risk, but some specialist lenders see higher risk, and the higher rate they can then charge, as more profitable.”
What is a credit check?
Credit-checking stretches wider than many assume, he explained: “It’s used most times you get any form of ‘credit’ – not just obvious debts – but also many things you pay for in advance, such as mobile phone contracts and sometimes energy tariffs.”
But, he adds, there’s a key detail missing from Credit Scores – they don’t include the most important number lenders use when assessing acceptance – your income.
“When lenders assess you, this is crucial. It’s the reason you may be accepted for a £3,000 loan and rejected by the same firm for one at £10,000 – your Credit Score hasn’t changed, you’ve just failed the affordability score,” he sais.
“Ultimately, if you’ve a great history but no money, you will be rejected. You can view your affordability score for free in MSE Credit Club.”
Martin challenges FCA boss on why the poor interest on Car Finance Mis-selling redress, just Base Rate + 1%, NON-compounded. For full info watch the Car Finance mis-selling Martin Lewis Money Show at https://t.co/slL60Tddkp.
Free complaint tool here https://t.co/si9fPXeTOz pic.twitter.com/9GS6pnLErt
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) November 6, 2025
8 tips to help boost your credit score
Ricky Attenborrow, Senior Manager at Capital One UK, looks at how customers can improve their credit score and how to check it: “While the data shows that people are more focused on improving their credit scores in October, January and February, it’s a good idea to check your credit score at more regular intervals to help you stay in control of your financial health throughout the year.
“We have a free tool CreditWise that people can use to check their score and get alerts when something changes. Hard credit applications can negatively affect your score, so using eligibility checkers like QuickCheck, which only carry out a soft search, will help you find out if you’ll be accepted for a card without affecting your credit score.
“If you are looking to improve your score, a credit builder card can help. These often come with a low initial credit limit that may increase over time. Using it responsibly, making payments on time and staying within your limit can help boost your score, though it’s important to note that activity such as missing payments, going over your credit limit, or applying regularly for credit could harm your score.”
- Ensure you are on the electoral register – Whether you choose to vote or not, it’s so important for your credit score to ensure you register on the electoral roll at your current address.
- Make regular on-time payments – Aim to pay your balance on time and in full. This shows lenders you’re reliable and capable of handling credit. A good way to make sure you pay on time is to schedule payments towards your credit account, for example, through direct debits, or put reminders on your phone to get notifications of when you need to pay.
- Check for errors on your credit report – The smallest errors can impact your score and could be enough to make a lender refuse you credit. It could be as small as a typo in your address or a debt that has been paid off but still shows as outstanding. If you spot a mistake, it’s important to ask the credit reference agency directly to change it – if it’s a mistake, then it’s their responsibility to correct it.
- Add a notice of correction for special circumstances – If there is any negative information on your report that occurred during a special circumstance, for example, you lost your job or were hospitalised, you can reach out to the credit reference agency and request them to add a Notice of Correction to your report.
- Account longevity – The longer you keep your current account and credit accounts open, the more likely a lender will see you as reliable, as it could indicate you’re able to manage your finances correctly. Most credit scoring systems reward you for having long-standing accounts, so before you close an account after a couple of months, think about how this could have a long-term effect on your credit score.
Recommended reading:
- Think about your credit utilisation – Your credit utilisation is effectively the percentage you actually use of your cumulative credit limit. If your card has a limit of £1,000, and you end up only using £500 of that, your credit utilisation score would be 50%. Not utilising 100% of your available credit can be viewed positively by lenders.
- Avoid changing address frequently – Whilst this isn’t always possible, if you are renting, try avoiding moving every couple of months. Lenders like stability, and the longer you are at an address, the less likely it is to influence lenders’ decision to offer you credit.
- Manage your overdraft well – Some bank accounts have 0% interest rates on their overdrafts, but it’s important to see it as there for a rainy day only, not as part of your regular budget. An overdraft is a loan, and going over your arranged overdraft limit, or regularly using an unarranged overdraft, can negatively impact your credit score.
