HMRC unable to confirm ID

DiscoPistol

Hi all,

I've just got off the phone to the HMRC about getting a form for tax credits (new bubba) and they've told me that they cant confirm my ID.

Now I know I've had a few sleepless nights in the last week but I'm pretty sure I still exist!

They now want me to make an interview with my local office to prove who I am, which I guess will mean a day off work and such like which is annoying.

Just wondering if this was normal?

Thanks

DP

Lady_gaga

yip, perfectly routine if they need confirmation of ID

southseasel

Just had the same thing happen to me. Funny, they have never needed to confirm my ID when taking tax out of my wages... Could understand if this was the case after the application form had been sent to them, but just the get the form in the first place?

vroombroom

they had me down as an illegal immigrant at one point and I had to send my birth certificate, passport and deed poll name change. It went on for almost 8 months :eek:

Tortuna

The ID checks are to cut down on fraud, just handing out forms to anyone leads to more dodgy claims.
It's nothing to worry about though, and doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. For some people, tax credit staff wont have enough information to confirm it over the phone.

System

If they don't have enough questions to ask you to confirm your identity they will ask you to go to your local HMRC Enquiry Centre to do so. You will set up secret questions and answers during the appointment. You may also be given a claim pack there (if they have any) which the staff will populate with your National Insurance number and name and address to prevent you from passing the form onto someone else.

This is to try to combat fraudulent tax credit claims. It is also to protect you so that when your claim is up and running no-one can ring up the Tax Credit Office pretending to be you and change something like the bank account your payments are paid into.