20 year old nephew doesn't have a bank account

ForumUser7

born_again said:

provisional driving licence is not always taken as a form of ID. 

Perhaps some places won't accept it, but I've never had a problem using it - albeit until recently mainly for under 18 accounts only

deutsch

to get a passport / driving licence, you usually need a birth certificate. get a copy for £11.
once you've got the copy of the birth cert, apply for a provisional licence. it'll be quicker than the passport and cheaper. both passport/licence last 10 years anyway and both are an investment - actually drive a car or go abroad.
national insurance card / paper - this can be used for the 2nd part of the driving licence as proof.

LunaLater

It’s lovely that you want to help, but it sounds as though he has no interest in being helped. 

Robin9

Just wait for him to get a girlfriend      

phillw

Robin9 said:

Just wait for him to get a girlfriend      

If already has or gets a girlfriend, then presumably she'd be happy with him not having an account.

elsien

He doesn’t need a bank account to get a job. That’s just an excuse. Some places still pay cash - legitimately through the books. Alternatively he could arrange to have his wages paid into someone else’s bank account if he can’t be bothered getting off his arris to open his own.
 I used to work with people with learning disabilities who didn’t have any bills in their own names and they all managed to get bank accounts. A school leavers with no photo ID l/bills/benefits has just managed to open a bank account using birth certificate, a college letter and something official from the looked after child team. 

There are ways and means for those who are motivated enough. Your nephew clearly isn’t.
 As long as he’s being subsidised by other people, he has no incentive to change anything.

General_Grant

At last!

@elsien points out the false premise that you need a bank account to get a job!

TheBanker

elsien said:

He doesn’t need a bank account to get a job. That’s just an excuse. Some places still pay cash - legitimately through the books. Alternatively he could arrange to have his wages paid into someone else’s bank account if he can’t be bothered getting off his arris to open his own.
 I used to work with people with learning disabilities who didn’t have any bills in their own names and they all managed to get bank accounts. A school leavers with no photo ID l/bills/benefits has just managed to open a bank account using birth certificate, a college letter and something official from the looked after child team. 

There are ways and means for those who are motivated enough. Your nephew clearly isn’t.
 As long as he’s being subsidised by other people, he has no incentive to change anything.

FWIW - I used to work for a high street bank and we dealt with a couple of local organisations to help people open bank accounts. One was an organisation which helped homeless people to find accommodation and employment. Another was an employment agency which recruited overseas workers into the NHS. Another was a large warehouse which recruited a lot of minimum wage employees, quite a few of whom didn't have bank accounts.

Between us (the bank) and the organisation, we normally managed to find sufficient ID or other documentation to open an account. Although the main list says 'Passport or Driving Licence' banks have a second list that they can use when those aren't available, and a third list that can be used for Basic Bank Accounts only. And an exceptions process which can use a collection of other documents if nothing on any of the lists is available.

someone

beckysbobbles12 said:

I feel like he's utterly wasting his life. He has barely any qualifications so I have no clue what life he can lead. I just wondered does anyone know any other way to get an account sorted for him.

Instead of pushing your nephew down a path you think he should go down (get a bank account -> get a job -> "stop wasting his live") have you considered asking him what he wants to do and then later supporting him on how be able to do that?

Pushing what you want your nephew to do onto him you risk something called "reactance" (wikipedia) and the effect could result in breaking down the relationship between yourself and him (along with the wider family).

By seeking out what he wants to do you are going to have a much easier time. Instead of him thinking "beckysbobbles12 is bossing me around, its a waste of time" it will be "beckysbobbles12 found a way to get me something I wanted".  

There however seems some deeper questions to be asked before more specific advice can be  ...

* Is he digitally literate? 

* How is an unbanked 20 y/o going about their day to day stuff? Like how is he paying for incidentals that usually require card (gaming, socialising, ordering from the internet etc.) ? Does he have a mobile?

* When you say "My nephew isn't the sharpest tool so is heavily reliant on his Dad" are you just commenting on a general lack of astuteness or something more profound such as special or additional needs?

Rob5342

LunaLater said:

It’s lovely that you want to help, but it sounds as though he has no interest in being helped. 

Indeed, my daughter opened a current account when she was 13. She looked at the different ones on offer, then got her passport out so we could take her to Nationwide to open one.

How on earth can anyone get to the age of 20 without having something as basic as a current account? Has he never travelled on a bus by himself for example?