Can you be refused a job solely because of a bad credit rating?

I was given a telephone interview & offered the job but told that if my credit rating was not brilliant I would not be given the job - is this legal or is it a form of discrimination?

PLEASE ONLY ANSWER IF YOU KNOW FOR DEFINATE AS i WILL BE TAKING THIS FURTHER IF IT IS ILLEGAL OR DISCRIMINATORY AND NEED THE CORRECT INFORMATION.

PLEASE ALSO INCLUDE YOUR SOURCES AS I NEED A REFERENCE POINT.

There are only 5 protected areas for discrimination issues:

Race
Religious belief
Disability
Sexual orientation
Sex

In October this will be extended to include age.

Otherwise an employer can accept or reject an applicant for any reasons, as another answer says if in the financial services industry then the FSA regulations state must have good credit file to take on an employee.

Yes. The employer can have ANY reason not to hire you. Unless you are black.

it is discriminatory.. contact your citizens advice..... and what decent employer interviews over the phone.. sounds a con to me... had a lucky escape, you have..................

if the job you were applying for is in the finance industry and you would be dealing, on a regular basis, with mortgage applications or money then yes it is legal.

used to work at barclays

i cant give reference points but yes you can be refused a job based on a credit rating. it depends on the job but my guess is that if thay are doing a credit check it is important such jobs are police, security, bank , and no its not discrimination

yes.

It can if your job will have you in contact with money or valuables in some shape or form. Basically they see hiring someone with a poor credit rating as a high risk for giving into temptation due to deparation. Whereas someone who manages their money and finances well would not be so tempted.

Yes the employer can refuse to give you a job if your credit history is bad. Most banks and government jobs use this as a requirement for hiring!@

yes you have to have a good credit history especially when you are working in the financial industry, its for the sake of people who invest money in banks etc, who are covered by the FSA

Unless your state law specifically says that you cannot be refused a job for a poor credit rating (which I doubt), then you can be refused for that reason. Many jobs require someone to be around cash or other valuables. Others involve a lot of responsibility. A poor credit rating is a risk to many employers. It tells them that you might be at risk for theft, and that you aren't very responsible. This is very typical in management positions and asset protection (security).