Government Gateway access

tekiM

Hi all - be gentle with the new boy!

I'm posting a query re the above as it relates to the item in Martin's email this am dealing with NI contributions records.  I followed the links and realised (with a groan) that I would have to go to the GG.  Coincidentally, I had tried to get on it yesterday to access my personal tax account to no avail.

The problem is this:  After jumping through all the hoops to sign on, I get to the identity check, which invites you to chose 2 out of 3 items to be quizzed on.

First - a current UK passport.  I suspect there are many (if not millions) who do not have one (particularly after the last few years...)

Secondly - details of a credit card or phone contract.  I dare say I could rustle up one of these eventually.

Thirdly, and this is the 'piece-de-resistance' - a NORTHERN IRELAND DRIVING LICENCE!!  Do these clowns realise how vanishingly small is the proportion of the UK population that holds such a thing?

I've raised the issue with HMRC.  They gave me the old adios as they did not consider it a technical problem with the website!

So - how have other forum members managed to log on?  And how else do I get my NI information other than a lengthy phone wait plus '10 working days'' for a paper notification to arrive?

afl2

Hi
I had a similar problem today, registering with them. choice of 4 to enter details about. Got no passport, cant remember when i applied for a card. failed. Gave up after 1 try. Not very helpful at all and it must be a nightmare for many others.

penners324

The vast majority of people have a passport and the vast majority of people know when they last opened a credit card.

The %age of people without will be miniscule.

On the driving licence issue some civil servant and made a huge mistake by not making the government gateway site compatible with the dvla's

eskbanker

tekiM said:

Thirdly, and this is the 'piece-de-resistance' - a NORTHERN IRELAND DRIVING LICENCE!!  Do these clowns realise how vanishingly small is the proportion of the UK population that holds such a thing?

https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/sa/c65d5c15-7f64-eb11-8fed-00155d975df7

We only have access to DVLA information for NI, which is why it gives that as an option.

RG2015

The article on the link below explains the Northern Ireland issue, which is obviously a glaring mistake by HMRC.

It would be so easy to put a message on their website explaining it while they attempt to correct it.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/apr/06/hm-revenues-id-rules-are-driving-me-back-to-pen-and-paper

RG2015

For those who cannot remember when they opened bank accounts or credit cards, this can be viewed on your credit report. This also applies to mobile phone contracts.

Your credit report is available free of charge from Clearscore, Credit Karma or the MSE Credit club.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/check-free-credit-report/

tekiM

penners324 said:

The vast majority of people have a passport and the vast majority of people know when they last opened a credit card.

The %age of people without will be miniscule.

A quick google shows that about 17% of people don't hold passports - a significant minority, many of whom will pay tax.  Having to fork out 85 quid for I passport I don't need just to access my own tax records is a scam - or the introduction of ID cards by stealth - depending on the level of your paranoia...

Incidentally, the GG sign in process indicates a range of possible forms of ID it may ask for (e.g. P60s) but only ever seems to ask for the aforementioned.

My credit card a/c was opened in the late 90s - gawd knows when.  Out of curiosity, I'm going to contact Barclaycard and ask...

Thanks for the responses everybody.

RG2015

tekiM said:

penners324 said:

The vast majority of people have a passport and the vast majority of people know when they last opened a credit card.

The %age of people without will be miniscule.

A quick google shows that about 17% of people don't hold passports - a significant minority, many of whom will pay tax.  Having to fork out 85 quid for I passport I don't need just to access my own tax records is a scam - or the introduction of ID cards by stealth - depending on the level of your paranoia...

Incidentally, the GG sign in process indicates a range of possible forms of ID it may ask for (e.g. P60s) but only ever seems to ask for the aforementioned.

My credit card a/c was opened in the late 90s - gawd knows when.  Out of curiosity, I'm going to contact Barclaycard and ask...

Thanks for the responses everybody.

I had a credit card from the 80s that did not appear on my credit report as it predated the automatic authority to inform the CRAs.

I wonder if this means that the GG system will will not see your credit card, thus making the ID check moot for this card.

alanobrien

tekiM said:

Hi all - be gentle with the new boy!

I'm posting a query re the above as it relates to the item in Martin's email this am dealing with NI contributions records.  I followed the links and realised (with a groan) that I would have to go to the GG.  Coincidentally, I had tried to get on it yesterday to access my personal tax account to no avail.

The problem is this:  After jumping through all the hoops to sign on, I get to the identity check, which invites you to chose 2 out of 3 items to be quizzed on.

First - a current UK passport.  I suspect there are many (if not millions) who do not have one (particularly after the last few years...)

Secondly - details of a credit card or phone contract.  I dare say I could rustle up one of these eventually.

Thirdly, and this is the 'piece-de-resistance' - a NORTHERN IRELAND DRIVING LICENCE!!  Do these clowns realise how vanishingly small is the proportion of the UK population that holds such a thing?

I've raised the issue with HMRC.  They gave me the old adios as they did not consider it a technical problem with the website!

So - how have other forum members managed to log on?  And how else do I get my NI information other than a lengthy phone wait plus '10 working days'' for a paper notification to arrive?

Its a big issue, its all over the support forums  https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/
I had a similar issue,  my passport expired during the covid lockdown so i didn't renew it.   I am retired so dont get a p60, i have an english (not NI) driving license etc so little chance of validating my id despite having paid tax for 45 years.    

The account access change was not implemented  well, foreign nationals living and working in the uk have been particularly badly hit by the change. 

Additional changes to improve access are due to happen in July according to a post on the support forum.  I would guess this means an english driving license will be included as well as NI.       One can only hope that good sense will prevail.

dunstonh

 I am retired so dont get a p60,

A lot of retired people get a  P60.  For example, if you have pension income (other than state) then P60s are still generated.

p00hsticks

alanobrien said:

tekiM said:

Hi all - be gentle with the new boy!

I'm posting a query re the above as it relates to the item in Martin's email this am dealing with NI contributions records.  I followed the links and realised (with a groan) that I would have to go to the GG.  Coincidentally, I had tried to get on it yesterday to access my personal tax account to no avail.

The problem is this:  After jumping through all the hoops to sign on, I get to the identity check, which invites you to chose 2 out of 3 items to be quizzed on.

First - a current UK passport.  I suspect there are many (if not millions) who do not have one (particularly after the last few years...)

Secondly - details of a credit card or phone contract.  I dare say I could rustle up one of these eventually.

Thirdly, and this is the 'piece-de-resistance' - a NORTHERN IRELAND DRIVING LICENCE!!  Do these clowns realise how vanishingly small is the proportion of the UK population that holds such a thing?

I've raised the issue with HMRC.  They gave me the old adios as they did not consider it a technical problem with the website!

So - how have other forum members managed to log on?  And how else do I get my NI information other than a lengthy phone wait plus '10 working days'' for a paper notification to arrive?

Its a big issue, its all over the support forums  https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/
I had a similar issue,  my passport expired during the covid lockdown so i didn't renew it.   I am retired so dont get a p60, i have an english (not NI) driving license etc so little chance of validating my id despite having paid tax for 45 years.    

If you have a private pension then the Pension company ought to be issuing you with a P60 ?
As an aside - If you can spare the money, I'd strongly recommend you renew your passport at some point, even if you have no intention of travelling abroad. These ID checks are becoming more and more stringent, and IMHO, working out at £7.50 a year, the cost of a passport is well worth it in terms of avoiding a lot of hassle when trying to prove ID.
As an example, we've recently seen a thread over on the house selling board where an elderly lady trying to sell her home is having to change conveyancer because she can't prove her id to the satisfaction of the one she originally went with. 
And possesion of a passport would get you one step closer to passing the Government Gateway checks...