Proof of identity -original birth certificate

nigelbb

jonesMUFCforever said:

retroman62 said:

t0rt0ise said:

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That is the short version - if you go to gov.uk and search for 'How to get a copy of a birth certificate' it will guide you.

That looks like a long version to me. I bought a short version one years ago and it has practically nothing on it but name, sex and date and it's accepted everywhere. It sounds as if the people dealing with it don't know what they are talking about. I'd raise a complaint.

Yes it’s definitely the long version because it has ALL the information on it, not the short version. 

It is not the long version.
The long version does not have any handwriting it is all typed out.
It is long because it is B4 size not the 'short' version in the picture.

My wife's long form birth certificate dated 2001 is handwritten & certified as a true copy of the register "in my possession" so I'm guessing issued by a local registry office rather than the General Register Office.

p00hsticks

As someone who also has no current passport or driving licence (and with a thin enough credit record so as not to pass the Verify checks) and therefore regularly hits this same brick wall, I can say that the recommendations to pay £11 to get a fresh certified copy of a birth certificate is rarely any good for ID purposes, as anyone can ask for and freely obtain copies of anyone elses birth/marriage/death certificates - it's no proof that you are actually the person on the certificate.

All certified copies have the date of when the copy was made.When they ask for an 'original' birth certificate, what they usually mean is the first certified copy that the people initially registering the birth would have been given for their records - that is, one where the copy was made within a year of the actual birth.

E,g the offical government list for proof of id required for money laundering checks includes the folloing

Original birth certificate (UK birth certificate issued within 12 months of the date of birth in full form including those issued by UK authorities overseas such as Embassies High Commissions and HM Forces)

(from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proof-of-identity-checklist/proof-of-identity-checklist)

If that's been mislaid, then as others have suggested all you can really do is go back to the organisation requiring the id, explain the situation and ask what is acceptable. Given that neither passports, driving licences or ID cards are compulsory in the countr,y they should all have alternatives available to those of us who do not possess any of those documents.

From

p00hsticks

semiplural said:

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.

Both are quite convoluted and expensive if you've never possessed either.

A full driving licence obviously requires you to take and pass a driving test (which in the OP's case is apparently not possible for medical reasons). A provisional licence will not be accepted as ID.

If you have never had a UK passport before, the initial application costs aroubd £75 I think, plus the costs of providing various paperwork and certificates (you and your fathers birth certificates, your parents marriage certificate). you also need to give the name of an appropriate person who is able to confirm your identity (notice the potential catch 22 there ?) and you are usually required to attend a face to face interview at a passport centre (although I imagine that may have altered in the light of COVID-19)

t0rt0ise

jonesMUFCforever said:

retroman62 said:

t0rt0ise said:

.

That is the short version - if you go to gov.uk and search for 'How to get a copy of a birth certificate' it will guide you.

That looks like a long version to me. I bought a short version one years ago and it has practically nothing on it but name, sex and date and it's accepted everywhere. It sounds as if the people dealing with it don't know what they are talking about. I'd raise a complaint.

Yes it’s definitely the long version because it has ALL the information on it, not the short version. 

It is not the long version.
The long version does not have any handwriting it is all typed out.
It is long because it is B4 size not the 'short' version in the picture.

It's actually called the 'full version' because it contains the details of the parents, the short version does not.

It would be good to have an update from the OP.

retroman62

Apologies, I overlooked Tortoises request re update from OP. In the end, my friend got her spouses pension, and I do not recollect having to get further certification, so I think they accepted it in the end! There was a fair bit of debate in this thread  about whether it was long or short version - it was long version, it contained details of parents.