11 million UK adults are apparently registered at multiple addresses, with 15% of those admitting they are registered at more than three addresses, according to new research from Direct Line Home Insurance.
These so-called ‘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.
Direct Line said 16% 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%). This is followed by still using the address occasionally (29%) and not making the time/effort (15%). Almost one in 10 (9%) ‘identity doppelgangers’ cited cost as their reason for not updating their details.
Katie Lomas, head of Direct Line home insurance, said: “It’s alarming that such a significant number of people have an out of date registered home address. This is exacerbated by the findings that three in 10 people are negatively affected as a consequence of forgetting to update them 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. With cost is highlighted as a reason why people don’t update their addresses, Direct Line is responding by removing administration fees across all policy changes.”
This issue is more prevalent amongst those who have recently flown the nest, as the most common alternative registered address is a parent’s house (36%). This is followed by a previous residence (23%) and parent’s previous residence (9%).