Those errors can have a big impact on your credit score. Paying bills got a lot harder during the pandemic for countless people, and lenders were quick to offer a lifeline in the form of deferments or forbearances. Those options allow you to skip a few payments without causing long-term problems. Some who took those offers are now reporting to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that paused payments are showing up on their credit reports as missing or late. That can ruin your credit score, and you may not know it's even happening until you check your credit report. If you dispute an error, you'll need to prove the lender offered you the pause in the form of a written agreement.