FAQs

Here you can see a list of our most Frequently Asked Questions organised by category. If your question is not listed, please feel free to submit a question via our contact form or call us on: 0333 2000 601.

You can apply to borrow as much or as little as you need. Our maximum unsecured loan is £25,000. All loan decisions are based on your income, expenditure and your ability to repay.

You can become a membership and apply for a loan at the same time. Cambrian Credit Union does not currently require a member to save before they apply for a loan.

We Usually process applications within 3 working days, as long as we receive the relevant uploaded documents.

Yes, you can repay your loan in full at any time without penalty. You can also make additional deposits to reduce the value of your outstanding loan at any time – again without penalty.

Members can only apply for a loan after 60 days of their previous loan application as each application generates a credit report which has an impact on the members credit score. As ethical and responsible lenders we require up to date information regarding a member’s financial circumstances when reviewing each loan application and we feel it would be detrimental to a members financial health if a credit report was generated more frequently.

To apply for a loan we require:

Up to date photo ID

  • Passport
  • Driving License

Proof of address

  • Benefit letter
  • Tenancy agreement,
  • Utility bill dated within 6 months
  • Water Bill dated within 12 months
  • Council tax bill.

Bank or Building Society statements dated within 3 months will also be required for your application.

If you don’t have photo id don’t worry, we may require additional proof of address information.

APR stands for ‘annual percentage rate’. It shows the percentage of interest the borrower would need to pay on top of a loan over the course of one year. The length of different loans can vary. While some (such as mortgages) have a term of many years, others are paid off in a few days or weeks. The idea of APR is to make it easy to compare the cost by requiring all lenders to display a rate based on a 1 year period.

As some members may have limited or no credit history we ask may for a benefit to be paid in rather than a Standing Order or Direct Debit.  This will help the member to build their credit history with Cambrian. while also providing a secure repayment method.

We understand that Member’s circumstances can change during the duration of their loan. If our Members cannot meet their repayments we would always recommend that they speak to our dedicated Credit Control Team.

Please follow this link for more information

Proof Of Address

  • Utility bill (gas, electric, satellite television, landline phone bill or broadband bill) dated within the last six months .

  • TV licence or confirmation of TV licence renewal letter as long as dated in the last 12 months.

  • Water bill dated in the last 12 months.

  • Local authority council tax bill for the current council tax year – this must be the bill only not letters relating to the tax.

  • Current UK driving licence (but only if not used for the ID evidence)

  • Bank, Building Society or Credit card statement or passbook dated within the last three months.

  • Original mortgage statement from a recognised lender issued for the last full year.

  • Solicitors letter within the last three months confirming recent house purchase or land registry confirmation of address

  • Council or housing association rent card or tenancy agreement or Occupation Contract for the current year

  • Official letter from Benefits Agency/DWP/Local Authority confirming your right to UK benefits, local benefits, UK Pension  - dated within the last 12 months. Only if not used as Proof of ID.

  • HMRC self-assessment letters or tax demand dated within the current financial year

  • Electoral Register entry
    or
    NHS Medical card or letter of confirmation from GP’s practice of registration with the surgery – note this is not appointment letters from hospital

  • HMRC coding/assessment/statement/tax credit letter (not P45/P60) (dated within the last 12 months) Only if not used as Proof of ID.

 

  • Letter from a Prison Governor or Probation Officer (must be on official headed paper)

  • UK Student loan/ grant paperwork – dated in last 12 months

  • For Homeless – letter from support/social worker dated in last 3 months

Photographic ID

  • Current signed passport – if the passport is not UK/Irish then we will also need to see their Right to work documentation.

  • EEA member state identity card (which can also be used as evidence of address if it carries this)

  • Current UK or EEA photocard driving licence (Full and Provisional) – the address on the Driving licence must be checked against the record in Progress, if this does not match the Driving licence is not valid.
  • Photographic registration cards for self-employed individuals in the construction industry -CIS4

  • Firearms or shotgun certificate

  • Residence permit issued by the Home Office to EEA nationals on sight of own country passport

  • UK Citizen Card

  • Armed forces identity card – unexpired

Non-Photographic ID

  • Full old-style driving licence – not provisional

  • Official letter from Benefits Agency/DWP/Local Authority confirming your right to UK benefits, local benefits, UK Pension  - dated within the last 12 months.

  • UK Student loan/ grant paperwork – dated in last 12 months

  • HMRC coding/assessment/statement/tax credit letter (not P45/P60) (dated within the last 12 months)

Save as little or as much as you want but accounts can hold a maximum of £85,000.

Yes. As a member of the Government-backed Financial Services Compensation Scheme, your total savings are protected up to the value of £85,000.

Choose from Standing order, Online banking, Cash at one of our branches or through our app. Or why not save directly through you salary through Payroll Savings.

Download our Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store, click the Join button and follow the steps to become a member.

Or Simply print and complete one of our Member applications forms, bring a valid photo ID and a proof of address then pop into one of our service locations and a member of our team can start the process.

Please note: Paper form membership could take up to 5 working days to complete once all documentation is received.

To utilise our products and services, and to maintain those services Cambrian charge the following fees:

  • Current Members:
    • £5 membership fee (membership fee is payable annually on anniversary of joining)
    • £5 savings held in the account at all times
  • New members:
    • £5 set up fee
    • £5 membership fee (membership fee is payable annually on anniversary of joining)
    • £5 savings held in the account at all times
  • Reactivating a membership:
    • £5 set up fee
    • £5 membership fee (membership fee is payable annually on anniversary of joining)
    • £5 savings held in the account at all times
  • Corporate members fees:
    • £10 set up fee
    • £5 membership fee (membership fee is payable annually on anniversary of joining)
    • £5 savings held in the account at all times
    • £10 fee payable for change of signatures on the account.
  • Junior Members:
    • Not for younger members until they are 16, then the account will automatically upgrade to an adult account. (Current Member)

Deposits can be made via a Payment Link which is sent once the online application is submitted, Standing Order, Benefits or Cash over the counter at one of our branches.

If you decide you wish to close your credit union account there are a number of ways this can be done:

Please follow this link for more information

We know that this is never an easy process to go through, so our priority is to keep things as simple and as straightforward as possible.

Please follow this link for more information

Proof Of Address

  • Utility bill (gas, electric, satellite television, landline phone bill or broadband bill) dated within the last six months .

  • TV licence or confirmation of TV licence renewal letter as long as dated in the last 12 months.

  • Water bill dated in the last 12 months.

  • Local authority council tax bill for the current council tax year – this must be the bill only not letters relating to the tax.

  • Current UK driving licence (but only if not used for the ID evidence)

  • Bank, Building Society or Credit card statement or passbook dated within the last three months.

  • Original mortgage statement from a recognised lender issued for the last full year.

  • Solicitors letter within the last three months confirming recent house purchase or land registry confirmation of address

  • Council or housing association rent card or tenancy agreement or Occupation Contract for the current year

  • Official letter from Benefits Agency/DWP/Local Authority confirming your right to UK benefits, local benefits, UK Pension  - dated within the last 12 months. Only if not used as Proof of ID.

  • HMRC self-assessment letters or tax demand dated within the current financial year

  • Electoral Register entry
    or
    NHS Medical card or letter of confirmation from GP’s practice of registration with the surgery – note this is not appointment letters from hospital

  • HMRC coding/assessment/statement/tax credit letter (not P45/P60) (dated within the last 12 months) Only if not used as Proof of ID.

 

  • Letter from a Prison Governor or Probation Officer (must be on official headed paper)

  • UK Student loan/ grant paperwork – dated in last 12 months

  • For Homeless – letter from support/social worker dated in last 3 months

Photographic ID

  • Current signed passport – if the passport is not UK/Irish then we will also need to see their Right to work documentation.

  • EEA member state identity card (which can also be used as evidence of address if it carries this)

  • Current UK or EEA photocard driving licence (Full and Provisional) – the address on the Driving licence must be checked against the record in Progress, if this does not match the Driving licence is not valid.
  • Photographic registration cards for self-employed individuals in the construction industry -CIS4

  • Firearms or shotgun certificate

  • Residence permit issued by the Home Office to EEA nationals on sight of own country passport

  • UK Citizen Card

  • Armed forces identity card – unexpired

Non-Photographic ID

  • Full old-style driving licence – not provisional

  • Official letter from Benefits Agency/DWP/Local Authority confirming your right to UK benefits, local benefits, UK Pension  - dated within the last 12 months.

  • UK Student loan/ grant paperwork – dated in last 12 months

  • HMRC coding/assessment/statement/tax credit letter (not P45/P60) (dated within the last 12 months)

An Engage Current card is a Visa debit card that can be used worldwide wherever Visa is accepted. It can be used online, in shops, over the phone or to withdraw cash from an ATM.

You must be at least 18 years old and a UK resident to be issued with an Engage Current account and card. You can only apply if you are currently a member of a Credit Union.

You can apply only apply through your Credit Union.

You may pay into your account via your Credit Union, by transfer from a bank account and by cash at selected retail outlets.

No – not unless you choose to tell them. If your repayments are coming from payroll deduction, your employer will only know that money is being sent to Cambrian Credit Union. They will not know if the money is being taken to repay a loan or to build up your savings.

Warning: Late repayment can cause you serious money problems. For help with your account please contact our team on 0333 2000 601 or visit www.cambriancu.com. For financial advice visit www.moneyhelper.org.uk