Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department began using Equifax checks as part of the fee waiver assessment process for leave to remain applications.

The Home Office have had contracts to enable financial checking since at least 2014 and therefore financial checks may have been used as part of fee waiver considerations from this date.

As outlined in the Fee Waiver guidance, checks may be undertaken with agencies such as HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and credit checking agencies (for example Equifax or Experian) to verify information provided by the applicant with regard to their income and finances.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applications-for-a-fee-waiver-and-refunds

The declaration that is completed by customers as part of their application outlines the fact that such checks are undertaken. Decision makers will also gain written consent from individuals for checks to be undertaken where we do not already hold it.