There isn’t a straightforward answer to the question of how long you should keep personal paperwork in the UK.
From bank statements and credit card bills to utility bills and old contracts, many people hold on to documents far longer than necessary, often because they’re unsure what’s safe to shred and what they should hang on to.
This guide explains how long to retain key personal documents, when secure storage may be advisable and when confidential shredding is the better option. It’s designed to help you stay organised, reduce clutter and protect your personal information.
Why keeping paperwork for the right length of time matters
Certain documents may be required to resolve disputes, support insurance or warranty claims or respond to queries from banks or HMRC. Keeping paperwork for the appropriate period can save time and stress later.
That said, holding on to paperwork indefinitely can create its own problems. Old documents often contain personal or financial information, and keeping them longer than necessary increases the risk of identity theft or data misuse. The key is knowing what to keep, what to store securely and when it’s time to destroy them.
How long to keep personal bank statements in the UK
Many people ask how long to keep personal bank statements in the UK, particularly now that most banks offer digital access.
Generally, bank statements should be kept for at least one year for future reference. However, if the statements relate to income, savings’ interest, benefits or tax matters, it’s advisable to retain them for up to six years. HMRC can request financial records going back several years, so anything linked to tax should be kept longer.
Older statements that still need to be retained but are rarely accessed are often best placed into secure document storage, rather than kept at home. This ensures they are kept safe and sound, and it also removes any anxiety about having them in your house.
How long should you keep credit card statements in the UK?
Credit card statements are important if you ever need to challenge a transaction, prove a purchase or support a warranty claim.
As a general rule, statements should be kept for around one year for routine spending. If the statements relate to tax matters, business expenses or high-value purchases, they should be retained for up to six years (as mentioned above).
Once credit card statements are no longer needed, they should be shredded securely. Simply tearing them up or putting them in household waste can leave sensitive information exposed, and this is how identity theft can occur.
How long should you keep utility bills in the UK?
Utility bills are commonly kept as proof of address or payment history. This includes gas, electricity, water, council tax and broadband.
Most utility bills only need to be kept for one to two years. In cases where there has been a dispute or a final bill following a house move, it may be sensible to keep them a little longer until everything is fully resolved.
Similar to credit card statements, utility bills contain personal details and should always be shredded once they’re no longer required.
How long to keep other personal paperwork in the UK
When thinking about how long to keep personal paperwork in the UK, there are a few additional common document types of personal paperwork worth considering.
Payslips
Payslips and P60s should generally be kept for a minimum of 22 months after the end of the tax year they were issued, and up to six years, particularly if you may need to prove income or tax paid.
Legal documents
Legal documents such as wills, power of attorney, title deeds, tenancy agreements and mortgage policy documents tend to be issued digitally, so ensure these are securely stored.
If you have these items as paper documents, ensure they are carefully stored in a secure place and retained for six years after the agreement ends, where applicable.
Receipts and warranties should be kept for the length of the warranty or guarantee period, as they may be required to support a claim.
Life event certificates
It’s also important to keep birth, adoption, death, marriage, civil partnership and divorce certificates as paper documents somewhere safe, secure and easily accessible across the course of your lifetime.
It is possible to apply for a copy if you lose any certificates, but it can be an administrative hassle and it will cost you.
When secure document storage is the right solution
Not all paperwork needs to be kept at home. Documents that must be retained for several years but are rarely accessed can quickly take up valuable space in your home.
Secure document storage is a practical solution for archived bank statements, old contracts, financial records kept for HMRC purposes and other important paperwork which you don’t want to clutter your living or working space.
Off-site storage keeps documents protected, organised and accessible when you actually need them.
When it’s time to shred documents
Once paperwork reaches the end of its recommended retention period, it should be destroyed securely. Personal and financial documents contain sensitive information, and disposing of them incorrectly can put you at risk.
Professional document shredding ensures that paperwork is fully destroyed and cannot be reconstructed. This is particularly important for bank statements, credit card paperwork, utility bills and any other documents containing personal or financial data.
A simple approach: Store first, shred later
Many people find it easiest to manage paperwork by combining secure storage with regular shredding. Documents can be stored safely for as long as required, reviewed periodically and then securely shredded once they’re no longer required.
This approach helps prevent paperwork from building up unnecessarily in your home and ensures sensitive information is handled responsibly at every stage.
How GTW Storage can help
GTW Storage provides both secure storage and confidential document shredding in Glasgow’s City Centre, making it simple to manage personal paperwork from start to finish.
We offer an end-to-end document storage and retrieval system for business records, and we adhere to all legislation regarding document retention. In addition to our document shredding service, we can also destroy hard disks and media drives.
We shred to Security Level 2 and comply fully with data protection legislation. We provide a destruction certificate and recycle destroyed material.
Whether you need a safe place to store important documents for the long term or a reliable shredding solution when paperwork is no longer required, having both services available under one roof offers convenience and peace of mind.
You don’t need to be an existing customer to use our document shredding services, and we provide custom quotes for a bulk shredding service should you need to clear out an entire office.
Conclusion
To conclude, understanding how long to keep personal documents and paperwork in the UK allows you to stay organised, protect your personal information and free up space at home or in the office.
Keeping documents only for as long as necessary, storing them securely and shredding them properly when the time comes; all of this ensures that managing your paperwork becomes far simpler and safer.
To learn more about how document storage with GTW Storage can help you, click here, or get in touch with our team.