Q: Why do you need an applicant’s bank details?
A: To verify they have a UK bank account. Their wages don’t have to go in to this account, they just need to have a UK bank account.
Absence of a bank account can often suggest underlying credit issues. Checking this is also part of our identification and anti-money laundering verification process.
In some cases, we will also need the most recent payslip and the corresponding bank statement. We need to confirm that wages aren’t being paid in cash. Cash wages are not reliable and could pose a risk.
Q: Do you accept overseas income?
A: Yes. With a verifiable accountant reference. We also accept overseas pensions but only in addition to another source of income.
Q: Can bank statements be used to verify self-employed income?
A: No. We can only take into account what’s been declared to HMRC. We need to see profit, not turnover.
Q: How do you work out the affordability?
A: As a general rule, income needs to be approximately 30 times the monthly rent payment.
Q: Why do you need proof of income as well as an employer/accountant reference?
A: If the employer has a personal email address or one where the domain isn’t recognised, we need further clarification.
If the applicant themselves is in an equal or higher position than the person giving them the employer reference (unless it’s from the HR department), we need further clarification.
Q: Why do you need a payslip AND bank statements, why will one or the other not do?
A: In certain circumstances when we need extra comfort regarding salary or employment, we request both these documents.
It is important to check the figure on the payslip corresponds with what is being paid into the bank account. Also, checking that the bank account is genuine gives us another level of security, negating the risk of identity fraud.
If you have other questions that we haven’t answered here, we’d love to answer them. Please send them to us at info@keysafetv.com.
