Council letter as valid proof of address

PRAISETHESUN

Typically the only council letters banks will accept are for your council tax bill for the current year. Every bank will accept different proof of address (even different branches of the same bank can have some differences), so I'd just pick up a pile of all the letters/documents that you have with your new address on them and walk around to every local branch and ask if they would accept any of them - that's what I did when I first moved to the UK and found a local Santander branch who would accept my tenancy agreement.

From memory Barclays was quite strict with what they would accept, so I probably wouldn't recommend them... but it still doesn't hurt to pop in and ask them. Also, once you get your Monzo/Starling account up and running (as you mentioned in your other thread about HSBC), you can request a paper bank statement to be sent to you which should be sufficient proof of your address to open an account with any high street bank.

waseem432000

PRAISETHESUN wrote: »

Typically the only council letters banks will accept are for your council tax bill for the current year. Every bank will accept different proof of address (even different branches of the same bank can have some differences), so I'd just pick up a pile of all the letters/documents that you have with your new address on them and walk around to every local branch and ask if they would accept any of them - that's what I did when I first moved to the UK and found a local Santander branch who would accept my tenancy agreement.

From memory Barclays was quite strict with what they would accept, so I probably wouldn't recommend them... but it still doesn't hurt to pop in and ask them. Also, once you get your Monzo/Starling account up and running (as you mentioned in your other thread about HSBC), you can request a paper bank statement to be sent to you which should be sufficient proof of your address to open an account with any high street bank.

I have already got my Monzo account up and running, received my salary and even had couple of ATM withdraws and online transactions. I guess I would require a full three month paper statement from them to be used as proof of address or a bank statement covering couple of days of account would be accepted too? Pardon my stupid questions

waseem432000

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

The only council letter that is normally acceptable as ID or address confirmation is the current year's council tax bill.

Worst thing is how misleading bank's own staff can be. I called Lloyds bank helpline last night and according to on call staff, any government communication with your name and address is sufficient. I wouldn't mind popping up into their branch in coming days too.

PRAISETHESUN

waseem432000 wrote: »

I have already got my Monzo account up and running, received my salary and even had couple of ATM withdraws and online transactions. I guess I would require a full three month paper statement from them to be used as proof of address or a bank statement covering couple of days of account would be accepted too? Pardon my stupid questions

Any statement with your full name and address on it should be acceptable - but it typically needs to be a paper copy that has been sent to you, not one printed from the internet. You should be able to get on live chat with the guys at Monzo and request this.

And I agree with your comment about the customer service reps... they are never on the same page

waseem432000

PRAISETHESUN wrote: »

Any statement with your full name and address on it should be acceptable - but it typically needs to be a paper copy that has been sent to you, not one printed from the internet. You should be able to get on live chat with the guys at Monzo and request this.

And I agree with your comment about the customer service reps... they are never on the same page

I have already requested Monzo team for bank statement and they are going to send me a printed statement which will be stamped as well. That's actually one easy way of getting proof of address which i should have followed earlier as well. Thanks for your suggestion Cheers

waseem432000

I received my Monzo bank statement which is stamped and signed and took that to Halifax, Barclays and Nationwide branches but none of them accepted that as a valid proof of address because they don't consider Monzo to be a "proper bank". One lady at Barclays branch even told me that since your bank statement is stamped, they can't accept that. Beat That. When I asked bank staff at Nationwide why their own call centre confirmed me about Monzo bank statement being accepted in their branches, he was gracious enough to explain that in Urdu that the staff on call centre weren't actual bankers hence they don't know much about their own bank's policies. Gave up on banks being reasonable and applied for my provisional driving license which I probably should have done in first place.

alphabravocharli

I think provisional driving license is also not accepted as proof of address. As i told you before you have only 2 options get Electoral Registration or get you name added on Utility bill. For adding name on utility bill it is not necessary to have a house contract on your own name.

waseem432000

Well provisional driving license is included in list of accepted proof of address documents so I will print out a page from a bank's own website before going to their branch next time. I have a landlord, who for some unknown reasons, doesn't want to share any utility bill with me, adding my name is a step too far for him. He hasn't explained his reasons to me but he simply refused to do so. I have already applied for electoral registration but my name will be added only after first of December 2018 according to council's letter.

JuicyJesus

waseem432000 wrote: »

I have a landlord, who for some unknown reasons, doesn't want to share any utility bill with me, adding my name is a step too far for him. He hasn't explained his reasons to me but he simply refused to do so.

Completely unrelated to the original purpose of this thread - that's dodge. Unless your flat is bills-included, which should have been spelt out to you, you should be named on utility bills. If you are paying the bills directly you should definitely be named.

Do you have a paper tenancy agreement?

waseem432000

I actually live in a room in shared house with landlord and his family and I signed a proper lease of six months on proper form signed by me, landlord and witnesses and I have requested him to help me get my proof of address and even delayed the last rent payment by couple of days to force his hand. I am new to country so don't know if there is any legal complication or tax payment thing which he is avoiding by not adding my name on utility bill. All i want is a proof of address which can help me get a high street bank account where could help me start building a proper credit history. Monzo has helped me get my salary payments sorted which is a relief and I thought their bank statement was sufficient enough to be a proof of address but sadly it isn't.