Proving ones identity

Anja

Has anyone successfully used a downloaded bill as a form of identification?

In this age of paperless billing I no longer have a utility bill that I can produce as a form of identity. The utility companies want to charge me £5 for each copy!

Fiddlestick

I have.

I just don't tell them it's downloaded (although I would if they ever asked).

There is no substantial difference between the bill that I print and the one that the utility company prints and mails out to me.

agrinnall

Fiddlestick wrote: »

I have.

I just don't tell them it's downloaded (although I would if they ever asked).

There is no substantial difference between the bill that I print and the one that the utility company prints and mails out to me.

Unless you edit it before printing it, which is why I was under the impression that a downloaded bill can't be used to prove identity (and one reason why I have retained paper statements for my current account).

izools

Driving License / Council Tax (Address) + Driving License / Passport (ID).

Simples :beer:

[Deleted User]

Anja wrote: »

Has anyone successfully used a downloaded bill as a form of identification?

In this age of paperless billing I no longer have a utility bill that I can produce as a form of identity. The utility companies want to charge me £5 for each copy!

have with some banks which issue online statements with ur actual address on it like if it were sent to you in the post

Photoshop

pinkdalek

If you are on the electoral roll I know the Halifax can check that & they then can validate your name/address.

Depending on what credit accounts you hold, they can verify you electronically these days. So if you have credit cards, pay utility bills and are on the voters roll you might find they do not require any further documents.

If you are struggling as your bills are paperless - council tax bill, letter from benefits agency, inland revenue (HMRC), photo card drivers license (provisional ok), catalogue statements to name a few.

izools

Agreed. I've not had to provide ID to open any of the accounts I currently hold as it was all done electronically.

Anja

Thanks for all your advice.

I have to submit my passport as one item so I'm going to play it safe and pay for a proper utility bill as my second form of evidence. I know about the electronic ID checking but they will probably do that themselves as well.

I don't want them to have any excuses to turn me down!:beer:

Loughton_Monkey

Always get paper statements from your main current account.

Use Council Tax or Water for utilities - they don't charge extra (just an obscene amount to start with).

jambosans

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

Always get paper statements from your main current account.

Why?

My bank provide a hard copy free of charge on request. Aside from the inconvenience of having to wait a few days for the copy to arrive, there's very little reason (IMO) to opt for paper statements - unless, of course, your bank charge for hard copies.

Cmdr_Bond

izools wrote: »

Driving License / Council Tax (Address) + Driving License / Passport (ID).

Simples :beer:

pinkdalek wrote: »

If you are on the electoral roll I know the Halifax can check that & they then can validate your name/address.

Depending on what credit accounts you hold, they can verify you electronically these days. So if you have credit cards, pay utility bills and are on the voters roll you might find they do not require any further documents.

If you are struggling as your bills are paperless - council tax bill, letter from benefits agency, inland revenue (HMRC), photo card drivers license (provisional ok), catalogue statements to name a few.

izools wrote: »

Agreed. I've not had to provide ID to open any of the accounts I currently hold as it was all done electronically.

I have just applied for a bank account with Lloyds, took me passport and driving license (but lets be fair not everyone has both of these, some don't have either). She said I had passed electronically, I thought she meant because of the passport (like the DVLA and Passport office can cross reference with each other).

But there are places who still want paper I.D. and if you don't have a license or passport, and are not the bill payer for the major utilities in your home (think children living with parents) - then you can only really rely on mobile phone bills and bank statements - and their extortionate fees for paper bills.