Bank Account Help Needed

Red_Doe

I`m posting this on behalf of a friend, who has a young adult transgender daughter who is trying to open a basic bank account but finding it difficult as she has no ID.
She is on JSA.
Since the government have done away with the ID card, she`s pretty stumped.
Does anyone have an info on banks which might take this into account please?
Obviously being transgender is also a problem, since her birth certificate can`t be changed to show her gender change until she has lived fully two years as a girl, which she hasn`t yet.

worried_jim

Some banks wont take a birth certificate as id anyway so not a problem. Why doesn't he/she phone them and ask. Lloyds Tsb 0845 3000000.
Or just apply on line and see what happens.

ironlady2022

Can she apply for a provisional licence or passport? all banks accept this as ID. How long has she been at her address? Banks usually take length at address into consideration and electoral registration but as she is so young, based on my experience as an Advisor she won't be able to open one up without the above.

Red_Doe

Catch 22 I`m afraid..without ID she can`t open a bank account, and without ID can`t apply for a license or passport. The forms of ID the banks seem to accept just aren`t what she has..due to a broken home and the transgender issue there`s no birth certificate and as she isn`t a student and is staying with her mum, no bills etc are in her name.
I`ll keep trying to look for info though, thanks for responding.

ironlady2022

she might be able to open a post office account, more lenient but will only accept government benefits in, canot pay cheques in and atm withdrawl or in branch withdrawal only.

izzie.

Hi, firstly as a transsexual myself so hopefully I can give you an insight as to the process for setting up her new legal identity.

I am assuming she has started transition and RLE and is working with a Psych?

If so the process is:

1. She needs to change her name either by Deed Poll or by Statutory Declaration, either search google for Deed Poll or search for Transsexual Statutory Declaration name change. This if she prepares a the document herself and gets a solicitor to countersign/notarise this would probably cost her about £10-£15. Now her new name is legally recognised.

2. Now search google and go to aboutmyvote and register to vote in her new name, it will take about 1 month to appear on the electoral role, she can phone the local council to see if she is now on the electoral register.

3. When she is on the electoral role she can try and apply online for a bank account (IMPORTANT- If she has started RLE and is living as female she does not have to state her previous name on any application (Experian advise transsexuals to do this)), she might find that for a basic bank account she will be accepted online without ID as she can be validated by checking the electoral register, if not the bank will ask for ID:

4. She now needs to ask her Psych to give her a letter to confirm that she has started RLE, she can then use this plus her legal name change paperwork plus her original birth certificate to obtain a passport and driving licence.

5. While she is doing this she should contact experian's gender recognition department to help her ensure her credit file with all agencies is excluively in her new identity : information at experian dot co dot uk / gra

Sending her kind thoughts, and wish her well in her transition.

Izzie.