open bank acc without photo id, have bills etc

dibbers

I dont own a passport at the moment and dont drive but really need to open a bank account for a large check that i have arriving soon. i have lots of utility bills, tenancy agreement, birth certificate.N.I number Nhs card, council tax etc.
but just no i.d with a photo or signiture on. are there any banks that will alow me to open an account without photo id. or how can i get hold of photo i.d. asap. (that will be accepted by a bank) i know you can mail order id cards but as so many of them can be faked i wonder if the bank will accept them. please can anyone advise me on what i can do. i have ben told that maybe the library can help me??
any advice would please be most gratefull

anniecave

how old are you? this is the rbs/natwest view

http://www.rbs.co.uk/personal/current-accounts/g2/switching.ashx#tabs=section4

dibbers

i am 27 28 in two weeks

dibbers

after reading the link you gave me i would have the documents they require for id but it does say at the top about switching accounts to become a new customer. am i correct in thinking that rbs is one of the banks recently taking over from the goverment or is that the bank of scotland. i was hoping to get an account with a bank that is not run by the goverment as i am bit of a socialist and believe that the goverments controling the banks is anotherr step towards the ultimate nanny state. are there any other banks that you know of that accept the same type of id as i would like to find the best one for example charges on uses of debit cards etc.

dzug1

I don't believe there's any requirement at all for a photo id - you just need independent proof of who you are and where you live. A tax code notification or benefits letter and a utility bill should cover it

dibbers

yes i have all them thats great. do any of you know which bank account charges the least for use on your debit card as i heard halifax a bad for there charges. i was going to choose allience and leicster. what are your thoughts.

ps thanks alot for your help

orangeslimes

dibbers wrote: »

after reading the link you gave me i would have the documents they require for id but it does say at the top about switching accounts to become a new customer. am i correct in thinking that rbs is one of the banks recently taking over from the goverment or is that the bank of scotland. i was hoping to get an account with a bank that is not run by the goverment as i am bit of a socialist and believe that the goverments controling the banks is anotherr step towards the ultimate nanny state. are there any other banks that you know of that accept the same type of id as i would like to find the best one for example charges on uses of debit cards etc.

Not strictly relevant but I would have said the government controlling banks is a rather socialist idea?
Anyway i believe the government has a majority ownership of RBS. And I think they took over HBOS. And you'd want to rule out Lloyds and Northern Rock if non govt ownership is your criteria.
I reckon RBS criteria will be similar to most banks. Probably you are best just going in somewhere and asking.

book12

dibbers wrote: »

after reading the link you gave me i would have the documents they require for id but it does say at the top about switching accounts to become a new customer. am i correct in thinking that rbs is one of the banks recently taking over from the goverment or is that the bank of scotland. i was hoping to get an account with a bank that is not run by the goverment as i am bit of a socialist and believe that the goverments controling the banks is anotherr step towards the ultimate nanny state. are there any other banks that you know of that accept the same type of id as i would like to find the best one for example charges on uses of debit cards etc.

Barclays and HSBC are examples of banks that are not owned/run by the government. I would highly recommend Barclays.

As for your ID, it doesn't have to be a photo ID, but I think it's preferred. Check the banks website for more details. I would put the cheque into your account first before you move to another bank. At least you got somewhere to put it.

Alternatively, you could apply for photo ID. It won't take long to process and get it delivered. You will get it within a week or two. Then you could apply for the new bank account. The cheque won't expire that quickly - expires after 6 months or so (forgot the exact time limit, hope I'm correct, if not, someone correct me).