There are any number of reasons why someone might want to withdraw an application for a DBS check once the form has been submitted. The most common reason is a change of plans around work; perhaps a job falls through, or a better offer comes along. The DBS has a formal process for withdrawing your DBS check mid-process, but before triggering the procedure it’s worth thinking about whether it’s really worth the effort.
Fees for DBS Checks
Anyone who is thinking about withdrawing a DBS check should be aware of the financial implications – even if you’ve submitted your application just five minutes before, the application fee is non-refundable, so you won’t get your money back. This is the case whether you are paying your own application fee for a basic check, or whether your employer is funding the checks for you. The DBS will only allow you to withdraw your application if it has not got to the printing stage. If you decide you want to apply for another DBS check in the future, then you will have to pay the application fee again too.
Registered Bodies or Employers
Applicants may have a change of mind and decide to withdraw their DBS check, but in other circumstances, employers may be obliged to withdraw checks too. This is a legal requirement in some situations. If an applicant isn’t interested in the position being offered any more, registered bodies have a legal obligation to withdraw the application as they are no longer entitled to see the outcome of any disclosure process.
How Do I Make a Withdrawal?
There are a few routes which can be used to request a withdrawal of a DBS application. Applicants or employers can:
- Email the DBS withdrawal team – address available on the DBS website.
- Sending written notification to the DBS withdrawals team at their office in Liverpool.
- Contacting the local police force concerned.
If you ask for withdrawal by email, or via the police, the DBS will then send out a form to complete to confirm that the withdrawal is genuine, and which needs to be signed (either digitally, or by pen). If you are at all confused about how to withdraw your DBS application while it is being processed, speak to the DBS helpline or your employer for advice.
Is It Worth Making a Withdrawal?
If you are acting on behalf of a body and are dealing with an applicant who has decided they are no longer interested in working for you, as described above you have no option but to action a withdrawal. But from an individual’s point of view, is it really worth it? The answer is probably not. The money you have paid for your application is spent, and the DBS are clear that you will not get a refund of your application fee, whatever the circumstances. So, there’s really no benefit to you in making the effort to call or email – just let the process run its course and dispose of the certificate when it turns up in the post.
