- 11 million Brits are 'identity doppelgangers’ registered at multiple addresses
- Fines, missed rebates and lost gifts just some of the consequences
- Almost one million have even fallen victim to fraud as a result
- Direct Line Home Insurance removes fees for policy amendments and urges customers to check their details are up to date
New research from Direct Line Home Insurance highlights 11 million UK adults are registered at multiple addresses, with one in seven (15 per cent) of those admitting they are registered at more than three addresses.
These ‘identity doppelgangers’ are missing out on vital communications, costing them in the region of £523 million through fines, missed rebates and lost gifts. Almost a million people have also been victim to fraud or crime due to not keeping address details up to date.
Sixteen per cent of people are registered at more than one address for their doctor, dentist or other medical services, meaning they are missing out on important health information and appointments. Additionally, nearly six million are registered at multiple addresses for the DVLA and 6.25 million for their bank, both of which could lead to identity fraud if communications are sent to incorrect addresses.
The most common reason for not updating a registered address is forgetting to do so, which accounts for a third of respondents (33 per cent). This is followed by still using the address occasionally (29 per cent) and not making the time/effort (15 per cent). Almost one in 10 (9 per cent) ‘identity doppelgangers’ cited cost as their reason for not updating their details.
Top five reasons for not updating address
1. Forgot (33%)
2. Still use the address occasionally or may use it in the future (29%)
3. Don’t have the time/can’t be bothered (15%)
4. I tried but it didn’t work (11%)
5. It costs money to change it (9%)
Katie Lomas, head of Direct Line home insurance, commented: “It’s alarming that such a significant number of people are not updating their registered home address. This is exacerbated by the findings that three in ten people are negatively affected as a consequence of bad record keeping leading to a loss of income, gifts and important information.
“Direct Line wants to raise awareness of this issue as it is so simple to fix. People just need to run through the list of organisations that might need to contact them and send them updated address details.
“Cost is highlighted as one reason why people don’t update their addresses and as such, Direct Line is prompting customers to update their details by removing administration fees for all changes.”
This issue is more prevalent amongst those who have recently fled the nest, as the most common alternative registered address is a parent’s house (36 per cent). This is followed by a previous residence (23 per cent) and parent’s previous residence (nine per cent).