Under 16 account/parent identity issue

henster

My 14 year old daughter wants to open an account with natwest - where i have had an account for about 30 years. We went today with completed online application and all required id (her passport and birth cert) and my proof of id too.

I discovered then that as i have a different surname to my daughter I am not allowed to act as parent/guardian and apparently my partner has to go with her instead as they have same surname. I tried pointing out that as we are not married I am actually the legal parent but this seems to be irrelevant. Admittedly I don't have the long birth cert for her but we have never needed that for anything else.

Has anyone else had same experience? Is this just natwest? I am sure that with my son's nationwide a/c this didn't happen. I also think this must be quite a common problem - should I question it more or just send my partner and 'let it go'!

loracan1

I didn't have problems when opening my sons' accounts at TSB, they've both got a different name from me as well.


Edited to add: thinking about it, how do the bank go about it if a child doesn't have contact with their father?

henster

I know - it's madness. They seem to be basing everything on the surname issue rather than any concept of legal parental responsibility. I know the easy way around this is to get the long birth certificate but I don't see why I should! I didn't need that to get her a passport, to have an operation, to register at doctor/dentist/school etc etc.

mgdavid

henster wrote: »

....... I know the easy way around this is to get the long birth certificate but I don't see why I should! ........

I do......

ses6jwg

The reason they insist on the long certificate if you don't share the same surname is because of money laundering!

You can buy a copy of ANYBODY's birth certificate in the UK for £9!

Fraudsters would have a field day if these checks were not strict.

SuperHan

I needed a long birth certificate to get my passport! (Albeit 5 years ago...). Does it not have you listed as parent on the short certificate?!

And I can see why they do need the proof, this is a financial institution - they generally require more checks than doctors/operations etc.

mazza111

I had the same problem with my DD and RBS about 6 years ago. Already had an account in her name/my name from before I changed my name. Had full birth certificate and child passport and they still said no.

This time I went with my 15 yo son, and all they needed to see was his passport, account opened no problem. Think it depends who you see on the day. The lass we had with DS was great and everything was fine.

tommytiger1985

*First post, long time reader! Weheyy *

I work in banking, and its the same for the bank I work for. One would require the Surname of the child to match the surname of the parent providing the ID. If this is not the case the longer copy of the BC would be required. However, do Natwest not have alternatives? I believe if I were unable to obtain the BC there is potentially other forms of ID I can accept - might be worth asking.

lolavix

Do you have a child benefit letter addressed to you with the child's name on?

henster

Thanks for all your replies.
I do understand the money laundering issues and possibility of fraud but what I am surprised about is this applies only to me, not to my partner. My argument is that the fact that my daughter and partner have the same surname is irrelevant - she also has the same surname as her male relatives and probably many other unrelated people!

My point here is that I am her legal parent - what if her father (my partner) was no longer in contact with us? what would natwest do then?

As for the birth certificate, this is interesting as I am sure that the long one wasn't needed for her passport as I didn't ever have a copy of the this version. I think that you sign a declaration of legal parenthood and maybe that is what natwest should introduce?

xylophone

I think that you sign a declaration of legal parenthood and maybe that is what natwest should introduce?

Easier to obtain copy of "long" BC?
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp