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UK Individual Check - Deep Dive

To summarise the complete UK Individual Check process, from data entry to results interpretation.

Description:

The UK Individual Check is an electronic identity verification (eIDV) check designed exclusively for individuals who currently reside in the United Kingdom. Nationality is not a limiting factor — for example, a French national living at a UK address can be verified using this check, as long as the UK address is their primary residence.

This check operates by querying data from one of SmartSearch’s partnered UK Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs):

  • Experian
  • Equifax
  • TransUnion

The CRA searches its databases to identify whether there is sufficient, reliable information linking the individual to the residential address provided. The primary sources of data supplied by our partnered CRAs include publicly available information such as:

  • Electoral (Voters) Roll records
  • County Court Judgments (CCJs) and bankruptcy filings
  • Financial agreements, including mortgages
  • Media and telecommunications contracts
  • Current account information
  • Credit card and retail credit data

In practice, this means that any major lender or organisation that contributes data to the UK Credit Reference Agencies shares this information, and SmartSearch can retrieve and return it as part of the verification process. The stronger and more consistent the data linking the individual to their address, the more likely the check is to return a PASS.

Input:

The Input Section appears at the very start of the journey and is where the user enters all required information before a result can be generated. Some fields are mandatory and must be completed to run the check, while others are optional and can be provided to strengthen the overall profile. This section ensures the system has the key details it needs—such as personal information, address history, and any supporting documents—to perform the appropriate verification processes and deliver an accurate result.

Search Reference (Optional):
  • Summary - A Search Reference is an optional field the client can use for internal referencing only
Search Option (Mandatory):
  • Summary - The Search Option presents the client with two options
    • Normal Risk – Requires 2 Primary Sources of Information in order to get a pass result.
    • High Risk – Requires 3 Primary Sources of Information in order to get a pass result.
Title (Mandatory)
First Name (Mandatory)
Middle Name (Optional)
Last Name (Mandatory)
DOB (Optional)
  • Summary - Whilst this is optional we always recommend to clients putting this in as it makes the search more robust and drastically speeds up Due Diligence.
Post Code Look Up (Optional)
  • Summary - The Postcode Lookup field lets you enter a postcode and automatically retrieve the full address from the Royal Mail database. When the postcode is entered, the system pulls the corresponding address information and populates the remaining address fields for you. This ensures faster data entry, reduces manual typing errors, and guarantees that address details match official Royal Mail records.
Flat (Optional)
Building Name/Number (Mandatory)
Address Line 1 (Optional)
Address Line 2 (Optional)
Town (Mandatory)
County (Optional)
Postcode (Mandatory)
Years at this address (Mandatory)
  • Summary - The Years at Address field is pre-populated with a default value of one year. This field does not affect the overall result of the check, but you can update it if needed. If you enter a value of less than one year, the system will prompt you to provide a previous address. While this also does not impact the final result, capturing address history helps build a clearer picture of the individual and adds an extra layer of legitimacy to their identity information.
Months at this address (Mandatory)
Previous Address Input (Optional)
  • Summary - The Previous Address field is optional by default. However, it becomes mandatory if the Years at Address field is set to less than one year. In those cases, the system requires a previous address to help build a fuller residential history for the individual. While providing this information does not affect the final check result, it does strengthen the overall legitimacy of the identity being verified. 
Additional Documents – Passport, Driving Licence, National Insurance Number (Optional)
  • Summary - This Additional Documents field is optional, but allows you to include extra forms of identification when needed. When document details are entered, the system performs an algorithmic validation check, comparing the document number against the official format and structure used for that document type. This helps confirm that the document number is correctly formatted and appears valid, adding an extra layer of assurance to the identity information provided.
Additional Documents - Bank Details (Optional)
  • Summary – This is an additional service called Bank Wizard Absolute. This service verifies that the entered sort code and account number correctly correspond with each other, ensuring the bank details are structurally valid. It also checks that the individual’s name, address, and date of birth match the information held for those bank details. While optional, this provides an extra layer of confidence and helps confirm the legitimacy of the customer’s financial information.

Results:

The Results Section displays whether the UK Individual Check has successfully matched the individual’s name to the address provided. The system searches external data sources to confirm that a person with the supplied full name is associated with that specific address. If enough verified information is found, the result will show as a Pass (Shown in green box); if not, the result will show as a Refer (Shown in Orange Box).

The Pass or Refer outcome is determined by the number of primary data matches returned and the risk level assigned to the search, in line with regulatory guidance for electronic verification.

For a normal-risk client, the system requires:

  1. One match on the individual’s full name and current address, and
  2. A second match on the individual’s full name and either the current address or date of birth.

A high-risk client requires three primary matches to achieve a Pass.

If the required number of matches is not met, the result will show as a Refer. Any Refer result is automatically processed through a second & third Credit Reference Agency (CRA) unless otherwise agreed. These additional checks provides an increased chance of achieving a Pass, but is charged as an additional UK Individual Check at the rate specified in the client’s contract.

Data Breakdown

A breakdown of the data returned is detailed under different headings on the SmartSearch results page allowing you to see exactly where the primary checks come from and when they were dated.

Primary and Collaborative – Primary
  • Summary - The Primary and Collaborative section provides a detailed breakdown of the granular data returned that links the individual to the address provided. This helps you understand the strength and depth of the information found by the Credit Reference Agencies.

    The section is split into two columns — Checks and Sources:

    Checks:
    This shows the number of open and closed credit agreements, along with any public information records that the Credit Reference Agency holds for the individual at the current address.

    Sources:
    This displays the number of separate data sources in which those primary checks were found. A higher number indicates that the individual’s connection to the address is supported across multiple independent datasets.

This breakdown helps illustrate why a Pass or Refer result was given by showing both the volume of data and the diversity of sources supporting the identity match.

Primary and Collaborative – Collaborative
  • Summary - The Collaborative section displays any data linked to a previous address, if one has been provided. This information is purely supplementary and does not contribute to the AML verification result. To achieve a Pass, the individual must be matched to their current address, not a historical one.

    Whilst it is not used to contribute to the outcome of the AML check, the Collaborative data can still offer helpful context, as it may indicate a consistent address history and provide an additional sense of legitimacy regarding the individual’s identity.

Match Status

The Match Status section provides a quick overview of how well the individual’s details match the information held by the Credit Reference Agencies. It highlights whether key data points—such as name, address, and date of birth—align with the records on file. This gives an at-a-glance indication of the strength of the verification before reviewing the full data breakdown.

Authentication Index:

The Authentication Index is a numerical score ranging from 0 to 90 and represents the level of confidence in the identity of the individual being checked. A higher score indicates stronger supporting data. This feature is only available on searches processed through Experian as the Credit Reference Agency.

Name and Address Match:

This section confirms whether the individual’s full name has been successfully matched to the address provided. A positive match indicates that the Credit Reference Agency holds records linking the person to that location.

Identity Confirmed Level:

This section confirms whether the individual has been successfully identified for AML purposes. It indicates that the required matching criteria have been met to verify the person’s identity in line with electronic verification standards.

Royal Mail PAF Confirmation:

This section confirms that the submitted address has been successfully verified against the Royal Mail Postal Address File (PAF). This ensures the address is valid, recognised, and correctly formatted according to official postal records.

Date of Birth Match Primary Data:

This section confirms how many date of birth matches were found within the primary data held by the Credit Reference Agency. It helps indicate whether the individual’s date of birth aligns with verified records for identity confirmation.

Date of Birth Match Collaborative Data:

This section confirms the number of date of birth matches found within the collaborative data held by the Credit Reference Agency. These matches relate to previous address information if provided. While useful for context, collaborative matches do not contribute to the AML verification result.

CRA:

The Credit Reference Agency responsible for processing and returning the data for the search. This indicates which CRA (Experian, Transunion or Equifax, depending on configuration) supplied the verification results.

Additional Checks

These checks verify any additional documents provided alongside the main identity information. The system performs algorithmic validation on the document details to confirm they follow the correct format and structure for that document type, adding extra assurance to the overall verification.

Driving Licence Number Verification:

This verifies the Driving Licence Number using algorithmic checks to ensure the number is valid and correctly formatted according to official standards.

National Insurance Number Verification:

This verifies the individual’s 9-digit National Insurance Number using algorithmic checks to ensure it is valid and correctly structured according to official formatting rules.

Passport Verification:

This verifies the 44-digit Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) on the individual’s passport using algorithmic checks. The system validates that the MRZ is correctly structured and follows the official format, helping confirm the passport’s legitimacy.

Bank Account Match:

This confirms whether the bank account details submitted (sort code and account number) are associated with the individual. A successful match indicates the account was issued to that person and aligns with the identity information provided.

Warnings

Deceased Check:

The Deceased Check identifies whether the individual appears on trusted data sources for deceased individuals. These records are compiled from trusted deceased data sources and are used to confirm when an individual is deceased, especially in cases where they may not appear on other commercial data files. A positive result may indicate the individual being checked is deceased, and may require further validation, such as, SmartDoc document verification

Potential Fraud Alert:

This indicates that the system has identified a specific area of concern within the information provided. The alert highlights potential inconsistencies or risks that may require further investigation to rule out possible fraudulent activity.