Cornwall Council canvass: the letter that affects your credit

A letter or an email is on its way to every household in Cornwall, and it is one worth opening rather than leaving on the side. Cornwall Council is running its annual canvass, the yearly check of who lives where, and residents are being asked to confirm their details.

What the canvass is

Every household in Cornwall will get a letter or an email asking you to confirm who lives at your address. It is a routine part of keeping the electoral register accurate, and it happens once a year. The council wants to know whether the people listed at your property are still the people living there.

Why it is worth doing

Keeping your details up to date helps make sure everyone who is eligible can vote in future elections. That is the main point of the exercise.

There is a second reason that catches people out. Being correctly registered can also make it easier to apply for things like a mortgage or credit, because lenders check the electoral register when they run their own checks. If your name is not on it at your current address, an application can be harder than it needs to be.

What to do

If someone has moved in or out of your property, or your details have changed, respond as soon as possible. If nothing has changed, you still need to confirm that, so the register stays correct.

Respond as soon as you can after the letter or email arrives.