Proof of identity -original birth certificate

retroman62

I’m making this request on behalf of a friend who has just received confirmation from trustees that she will be paid a spouses pension. When she made the application to the trustees, they requested a copy of her birth certificate and she provided a certified copy. In the letter which she has just received however, they are requiring the original birth certificate, as they are now saying that what was previously provided was not sufficient to verify her identity. At no time previously have they indicated that this was not acceptable, although all copies of birth certificates state at the bottom that they are not proof of identity. She does not have a current passport, and she does not have a driving license. Can anybody advise what is the legal position here, given that the original birth certificate is not in her possession, and this cannot be an uncommon scenario.

semiplural

That is a tricky one retroman I agree. 
My first thought would be to speak to the trustees and ask what forms of ID they would accept.
Secondly, you say she does not have a current passport. Does she have a lapsed one? Many organisations will still accept this as valid ID.
It might be worth looking at what is actually needed to get a driving license or a passport - I seem to recall they may not be that challenging to get.

retroman62

Thanks semi-plural. We sent the passport (expired four years ago) . She can’t get a driving licence because of a neurological condition, and for that reason also she is no longer able to fly, hence why the passport was nor renewed.

jonesMUFCforever

I disagree - an expired passport would never be accepted as suitable ID in my opinion.
The trustees asked for a certified copy of birth certificate - was this the short or full version? Also was it copied and then certified by someone (eg solicitor or bank?).
If it is the short version that was submitted then you can apply for a copy of the original certificate B4 size current long version - it will cost you £11.

Tealblue

jonesMUFCforever said:

I disagree - an expired passport would never be accepted as suitable ID in my opinion.

Quite. An expired passport is just that - no longer valid.

jonesMUFCforever said:

The trustees asked for a certified copy of birth certificate - was this the short or full version? Also was it copied and then certified by someone (eg solicitor or bank?).
If it is the short version that was submitted then you can apply for a copy of the original certificate B4 size current long version - it will cost you £11.

What exactly did the certification say? It needs to confirm it is a true copy of the original, a point often missed by those doing the certifying. Worth ringing the scheme administrators and asking why it wasn't adequate before doing anything else - otherwise the advice above is the best way to proceed. Link: https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate

xylophone

I’m making this request on behalf of a friend who has just received confirmation from trustees that she will be paid a spouses pension. 

They haven't asked for a marriage certificate?

Even the "original" birth/marriage/death certificate is a copy - a copy of the entry in the register.

comeandgo

In Scotland you can get a replacement full birth certificate which is regarded as an original or you get a condensed one which is cheaper to buy.  If you look on the web pages of the area she was born and see if this is the case for your country.  I think very few people actually have the original birth certificate.

robber2

For the cost of it and if there really is no other way of proving ID maybe you friends best option would be to get a new and valid passport. Depends I suppose on the value of the pension.

retroman62

Thank you for all your comments.If you click on the following link, then this is the style of certified copy of birth certificate which we got when we applied for the certificate (JonesMUFCforever): https://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/5/54/Smith-26424.jpg I can’t see why this isn’t acceptable, especially as it’s an official certified copy.

comeandgo

It's a copy, you need an original which means a staff member will type up the details on a new certificate.

retroman62

What exactly did the certification say? It needs to confirm it is a true copy of the original, a point often missed by those doing the certifying.

Yes it did confirm that it is a true copy of the original.