Page 4 | Security clearance. Mind your own business

Nonofyourbusiness · 2023-11-21T19:18:27+00:00

Name changed for obvious reasons. Dh has been told that his security clearance needs renewing. He’s worked for the same employer for years, so no idea why it needs to be revised. Nothing has changed. He isn’t applying for a job with higher security. Anyway, he needs me to fill in the section about my financial security. I agreed, thinking it would be the usual, ‘how much do you earn, what are your outgoings’, etc, but I was surprised to see questions on the value of my jewellery and car. Questions on my credit card limits and questions on investments, ISA’s, etc. Can I refuse to answer them. It’s none of their business. Neither of us have any debt and we both have healthy credit scores. I really don’t understand why they need such in depth info. Any ideas?

Glarptip · 23/11/2023 12:48

piscofrisco · 23/11/2023 05:56

I'm amazed by this given the behaviour of some of our elected leaders. How is it that civil servants and their families are subjected to this when the people in power seem to be able to do whatever they like and no one gives a fig?

You can't be serious.

People in power are voted into place, in elections. Security wonks can't sack them for being overdrawn!

Glarptip · 23/11/2023 12:50

EmpressSoleil · 23/11/2023 12:27

See, I find the whole "bribery" thing insulting actually. I'm not well off but I would never, ever accept a bribe. Morally and because the consequences would be too severe. Whereas someone whose financials on paper are good might just be greedy! Corruption is about more than just "needing" the money.

I'd be annoyed at having to provide all that info too, but I guess if you have no choice then you have to.

"They" know more about it than you, because they know who, in what circumstances, has been corrupted in the past.

Hollyhead · 23/11/2023 13:53

@EmpressSoleil it’s not about being well off or not, it’s whether you are in a leverageable position. So let’s say someone was struggling with debts, and someone offered to clear them for a seemingly benign piece of information about a government building or asset, it could be too tempting to resist. Bribes aren’t always obvious or for things that someone might consider super secret information.

Whataretheodds · 23/11/2023 14:43

WellHereIAmAgain · 23/11/2023 08:25

Hello - a timely post. I’ve just been offered a job in a bank that requires security and financial checks. I’m a bit worried about the financial bit and wondered if anyone had any advice.

My credit score is good. I’m married and DH is a saver. I’m more of a spender because I buy most of the stuff for me/DD. We’re both mid-40s. On the face of it, finances currently look like:

Him: earns around £70k per year through his own company, has about £55k in savings but this is earmarked for a car we have ordered and his tax bill.

Joint mortgage is currently £22k which is fully offset with savings of about £28k in my name. However, I have £24k on various credit cards at 0%. I earn £60k currently and new job is offering £80k.

This came about because DH couldn’t work for a lot of lockdown, and our accountant didn’t tell us about the Covid grants our company was entitled to. So some credit card spend built up which I put on 0%. We’ve always overpaid the mortgage, which is much smaller than what would probably be expected at this time of our lives. We can take money out of the mortgage to pay off the credit cards but this would then be at 6% or 7% interest.

Plan is to overpay on the credit cards and use additional salary to build up the offset savings so that when the 0%s end we can add what’s left to the mortgage, hopefully either fully offset or at a lower % than now.

Committed to car purchase in cash to avoid 7% finance.

Is this likely to be accepted? I really want/need this job. :-/

I work in FS. I preciously offered a role to someone who failed financial vetring because she had £40k worth of unsecured debt which was more than her salary would have been.

The bank's concern is whether you'd be a target for fraudsters who would use your debt to persuade you to help them steal confidential data/hack systems/commit fraud to obtain cash or credit.

From your post I'm not clear how you're planning to pay off your credit cards?

WellHereIAmAgain · 23/11/2023 15:00

Thanks. Have just done the form and put in some extra info.

there are savings, which are offsetting the mortgage. We can add to the mortgage at any point so using the savings or adding back to the mortgage is the same result: 7% interest rather than the zero it’s at now. Nobody would bat an eye at a mortgage of £50k, I guess.

its £24k of debt against a household income of £120k and the form calculated just under a million in assets. Plan is to pay it down (increase in income will help) whilst at 0% and continuing to add to offset savings so that anything left at the end of the 0% can be added to the mortgage and hopefully interest rates will have fallen.

I said that if I was an issue I can use liquid assets to repay or add to the mortgage. It calculated just under a million in assets. DH and I have been married for 20 years so at least half of that is mine and vastly outweighs the debt.

BrieAndChilli · 23/11/2023 15:40

the security vetting is also a test. if you don't declare things truthfully then it shows you up as not an honest person or if the spouse has lots of debt they have hidden from their partner it opens up that they be susceptible to blackmail etc to try and keep it hidden.
So it is not really about the amount of debt or how many credit cards you have but rather that you managing them in an honest way and have no unexplained income.
family ties are also important unfortunately. DH gets vetted and every time we have to go into more detail about my stepfather (who isn't married to my mum) and we haven't seen them in years because a family member of his had an entanglement with the IRA.

WellHereIAmAgain · 23/11/2023 19:26

Have been completely honest.

LoobyDop · 23/11/2023 20:19

@WellHereIAmAgain it probably depends on the specific role, and how easily you would be able to commit fraud or theft through it. But I had a colleague who had tens of thousands in debt, but because she was managing the repayments, she passed the checks.

Name235 · 23/11/2023 20:55

Coolblur · 23/11/2023 00:33

Out of interest, if you've been in a job for years, what actually happens if something comes up that the employer doesn't like when renewing security clearance? Has anyone actually lost a job because of their partner/family member's answers? Or non-answers?

I worked in a public sector role where checks were done on all staff annually. A few long termers disappeared along the way.

Name235 · 23/11/2023 20:57

cakeorwine · 23/11/2023 07:03

What would "easy to bribe" look like?
What level of savings, expenditure would make you easy to bribe?

Hidden debt mainly. Not hidden from the recruiter but hidden from family. It shows you're capable of being deceitful to loved ones and shows poor character.

NectarinesAreNotTheOnlyFruit · 23/11/2023 21:22

I was a reference for a friend in the military, and was questioned about her when she needed security clearance. She hadn't told me or discussed it in advance so I was a bit surprised when one day at work I was called out of a meeting to be interviewed. They asked about her sex life - she was married and had had several affairs. I was a bit worried that my answers would lead to her not being cleared because I told them about every one I knew of, but apparently they already knew and it was my honesty they were checking.

Tatumm · 23/11/2023 21:54

So does this mean that a family member or ex partner could lose someone their job by refusing to cooperate or by giving the wrong information?

WellHereIAmAgain · 23/11/2023 21:58

LoobyDop · 23/11/2023 20:19

@WellHereIAmAgain it probably depends on the specific role, and how easily you would be able to commit fraud or theft through it. But I had a colleague who had tens of thousands in debt, but because she was managing the repayments, she passed the checks.

It’s a highly specialist role where i wouldnt have any access to any payment systems.

WellHereIAmAgain · 23/11/2023 21:59

No issue with repayments. And could clear it in full if it became an issue. (Just means paying interest on part of my mortgage.

Sannnntaaaaaaaaaaaaiknowhim · 23/11/2023 22:00

WellHereIAmAgain · 23/11/2023 08:25

Hello - a timely post. I’ve just been offered a job in a bank that requires security and financial checks. I’m a bit worried about the financial bit and wondered if anyone had any advice.

My credit score is good. I’m married and DH is a saver. I’m more of a spender because I buy most of the stuff for me/DD. We’re both mid-40s. On the face of it, finances currently look like:

Him: earns around £70k per year through his own company, has about £55k in savings but this is earmarked for a car we have ordered and his tax bill.

Joint mortgage is currently £22k which is fully offset with savings of about £28k in my name. However, I have £24k on various credit cards at 0%. I earn £60k currently and new job is offering £80k.

This came about because DH couldn’t work for a lot of lockdown, and our accountant didn’t tell us about the Covid grants our company was entitled to. So some credit card spend built up which I put on 0%. We’ve always overpaid the mortgage, which is much smaller than what would probably be expected at this time of our lives. We can take money out of the mortgage to pay off the credit cards but this would then be at 6% or 7% interest.

Plan is to overpay on the credit cards and use additional salary to build up the offset savings so that when the 0%s end we can add what’s left to the mortgage, hopefully either fully offset or at a lower % than now.

Committed to car purchase in cash to avoid 7% finance.

Is this likely to be accepted? I really want/need this job. :-/

Hey OP - the main thing is always is any debt manageable , and do you have not defaults….. if you don’t then you’ve nothing at all to worry about

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 23/11/2023 22:06

Tatumm · 23/11/2023 21:54

So does this mean that a family member or ex partner could lose someone their job by refusing to cooperate or by giving the wrong information?

I was wondering that. We don’t talk to BIL or any of his family and there’s no way I’d tell any of them the time, let alone anything about my life and I’m sure the feeling is mutual

WellHereIAmAgain · 23/11/2023 22:42

Sannnntaaaaaaaaaaaaiknowhim · 23/11/2023 22:00

Hey OP - the main thing is always is any debt manageable , and do you have not defaults….. if you don’t then you’ve nothing at all to worry about

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No defaults whatsoever.

Hanlonsamazer · 23/11/2023 22:54

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 23/11/2023 22:06

I was wondering that. We don’t talk to BIL or any of his family and there’s no way I’d tell any of them the time, let alone anything about my life and I’m sure the feeling is mutual

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You would just say you’re estranged. You can’t really say you’re estranged from someone who lives in your house though, in the case of the latter of course it could affect your employment.

amillionglowingstars · 23/11/2023 23:04

PuttingDownRoots · 22/11/2023 20:28

According to DH who has to put up with questions on his sex life etc for his... they don't actually care about the answers, they already know they just want to see if you are honest.

I really don’t think they know the intimate details of his sex life!

I have had DV in the past and don’t remember my partner being asked in depth questions about his financial situation but perhaps he was and I’ve forgotten. He definitely wasn’t asked for SC.

amillionglowingstars · 23/11/2023 23:08

NectarinesAreNotTheOnlyFruit · 23/11/2023 21:22

I was a reference for a friend in the military, and was questioned about her when she needed security clearance. She hadn't told me or discussed it in advance so I was a bit surprised when one day at work I was called out of a meeting to be interviewed. They asked about her sex life - she was married and had had several affairs. I was a bit worried that my answers would lead to her not being cleared because I told them about every one I knew of, but apparently they already knew and it was my honesty they were checking.

I’m not sure they were checking YOUR honesty - isn’t it about your friend and the extent to which she is open about these things? As if she was trying to keep the affairs a secret that could make her easy to blackmail.

NectarinesAreNotTheOnlyFruit · 23/11/2023 23:38

@amillionglowingstars well it’s both, but if they thought I was the kind of person that would cover up her indiscretions, they wouldn’t believe the rest of my answers. Hence pressing me so hard on an area where there was a known weakness.

theunbelievabletruth · 24/11/2023 00:14

I'm perplexed by this . I hold SC clearance (organised crime investigations) . Never once in twenty two years - so done this three times - have my husbands been asked to complete anything . We were far from squeaky clean as first husband awful with money and we both had CCJs etc. (but obviously declared) as it's not about being blameless but being honest and not lea img yourself open to blackmail .
Alll my colleagues were the same. No partners /spouses had to complete anything . We had to give names but that was all.

What you have been asked for sounds like DV clearance .I would suspect he works elsewhere.

Finestreason · 24/11/2023 07:09

What you have been asked for sounds like DV clearance .I would suspect he works elsewhere.

I agree with this, sounds like DV.

determinedtomakethiswork · 24/11/2023 07:32

PuttingDownRoots · 22/11/2023 20:28

According to DH who has to put up with questions on his sex life etc for his... they don't actually care about the answers, they already know they just want to see if you are honest.

What kind of job is that?

Ginmonkeyagain · 24/11/2023 07:43

I get vetted every six months for susceptability to bribery and conflicts of interest. That includes my partner and other close family members.

It is very common.