What you need to know, in brief.
- Most mainstream insurers discriminate against people with unspent convictions, even if the convictions are not relevant. Unlocks list of specialist brokers can often help with home or business insurance and if you’re looking for car insurance there are some mainstream insurers that don’t ask about non-motoring convictions.
- When purchasing an insurance policy you only need to disclose unspent convictions and then only if the insurer asks.
- Having a criminal record won’t usually cause you too many problems in opening a bank account. If you don’t qualify for a standard account, possibly due to a poor credit history, most banks offer a basic account.
- For those in prison or being released, the biggest problem when applying for a bank account is providing identification. Each bank will have a list of the ID they accept.
- If you’ve been convicted of a fraud offence and refused a bank account this may be due to your details being recorded on the CIFAS database. You may have to consider some form of pre-paid account.
Information & Advice Articles
Will my criminal record make it difficult for me to get insurance?
If your caution or conviction is unspent then it might do.
Where can I get car or home insurance?
Have a look at Unlock’s list of insurance brokers. However, if you have not been convicted of a motoring offence, there are some mainstream insurers that don’t ask about non-motoring convictions.
I need insurance for my business - what do I need to know?
You will need to disclose unspent convictions even if the insurance company doesn’t ask as a conviction is classed as a ‘material fact’.
Can I open a bank account if I have a criminal record?
Most banks now provide basic bank accounts and opening one of these shouldn’t be too difficult providing you have the relevant ID.
Can I open a bank account if I've got a criminal record and a history of fraud?
If the fraud was against a financial institution then you may find it difficult to open a High Street bank account as your details might be logged on the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS).
How do I open a bank account while I'm in prison?
As a result of a project run by Unlock several years ago, many prisons have arrangements in place with local banks. You should speak to the prison resettlement department for further information.
What can I do with my existing bank account while I'm in prison?
Nothing happens to your external bank account as a result of being in prison but some court disposals (for example a confiscation order) may have an impact on it or, the fact that there has been no activity.
How could my criminal record cause me problems financially?
A criminal record will have different implications for different people. Some will need to claim benefits for the first time whilst others will start to receive pension payments which were stopped whilst they were in prison.
Personal Stories
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