Why so expensive to get ID in the UK? Why no free national identity cards?

Tucosalamanca

Beachcomber372 said:

My partner and 16,19 and 21 year old sons need ID for opening bank accounts. Proving their identity is very difficult so we've decided to apply for passports for them even though we have no intention of going abroad. All the costs of getting 4 passports is going going to cost about £450 and they will need renewing every 10 years at more cost. How can people on a low income be expected to pay so much just to prove who they are to do basic things like opening a bank account, voting etc.. Why aren't all UK citizens issued a free National Idenity Card?

All are of working age and a passport costs about a day's wage. Hardly unreasonable.

p00hsticks

BooJewels said:

elsien said:

Beachcomber372 said:

JadedAngel88 said:

I recently had to return my driving license to DVLA because I'm not allowed to drive due to medication I take.  

I don't have a passport and was stumped for something to prove my id. I have a citizen card. 

https://www.citizencard.com/apply-for-a-uk-id-card-online

It does say they charge £15 but I found a code so it was free. The codes can easily be found online. Apparently NUS or FREEVOTERID will work. 

Citizen card not acceptable as ID for opening bank account or many other things.

You say you need photo ID for many other things other than a bank account.

I can’t remember the last time I used photo ID for any other purpose.

I’m coming to the view you’ve only posted because you think that National identity cards are a good idea regardless of the purpose, not because people are genuinely having issues with their bank account. 

So out of interest, what do you consider? are the multitude of other reasons that photo ID is needed for? 

As mentioned, I had to relent and get a passport as it was becoming increasingly difficult to carry out some 'legal' tasks.  I needed photo ID when I gifted my son a house deposit, for registering an LPA with a bank (and several variants of using the LPA), for putting an estate house on the market (twice), getting an original will from a solicitors for Probate, selling said properties with solicitors, getting into my Government Gateway and there have been others.   They might as well have put through the ID cards, as the need for photo ID has effectively made passports and DLs into them.

Yes, I've had the same experience - applied for a passport when dealing with a couple of estates as executor as so many organisations (banks, estate agents, solictors etc ) were asking for it. 

and now I'll use it to vote too.

The cost over ten years is probably not much more than what they'd ask for an ID card if introduced. 

JadedAngel88

Beachcomber372 said:

JadedAngel88 said:

I recently had to return my driving license to DVLA because I'm not allowed to drive due to medication I take.  

I don't have a passport and was stumped for something to prove my id. I have a citizen card. 

https://www.citizencard.com/apply-for-a-uk-id-card-online

It does say they charge £15 but I found a code so it was free. The codes can easily be found online. Apparently NUS or FREEVOTERID will work. 

Citizen card not acceptable as ID for opening bank account or many other things.

I have opened a bank account with it. I've used it quite a few times to prove my identity and it's been accepted. 

Other than that you'll have to pay for either a passport or provisional driving licence.

AmityNeon

These sorts of discussions constantly recur. Countless hours have been and inevitably will be spent finding workarounds, substitutes, second-rate alternatives, and suggesting how the state of affairs could be improved, all because British society had/has reservations regarding government-issued national identity cards.

Whether we like it or not, passports are the (global) gold standard, and no individual citizen can effect national change when they find themselves needing to prove their identity. Even should policy change in the future, it is irrelevant to one individual's pressing need right now.

A passport is valid for 10 years, and the renewal process is easier and overall cheaper than applying for the first (e.g. no admin for birth certificates required). Just eat the cost, budget for it like any other regular expense (e.g. telecoms, utility, insurance), and make life easier for yourself. The necessity of photo ID will only become more prevalent as society becomes ever more digitised; you can try fighting the current at every turn for as long as you live, but the trend is certainly not going to reverse.

AstonSmith

The last try from the end of the previous Labour government was a bit flawed. As everyone said at the time, the database behind it was what most people objected to, although the work they did was put into the biometric residence permit, so it wasn't a complete waste of money.

I felt the problem with their implementation (as proposed) was that they wanted you to have a passport first before you could apply for a card. So it wouldn't save any money, and would be almost useless - perhaps it might be handy if you're abroad in a country where you are expected to carry an ID card at all times.

I think what we need now is a passport card. A plastic card that is held in the same regard as the booklet, with the same HMPO database information, hopefully at a lower cost.

Alternatively, we could do what some USA states have done, and allow the DVLA to issue photocards that don't entitle the holder to drive. This would allow those who are not allowed to drive to have a government photocard ID.

Beachcomber372

Tucosalamanca said:

Beachcomber372 said:

My partner and 16,19 and 21 year old sons need ID for opening bank accounts. Proving their identity is very difficult so we've decided to apply for passports for them even though we have no intention of going abroad. All the costs of getting 4 passports is going going to cost about £450 and they will need renewing every 10 years at more cost. How can people on a low income be expected to pay so much just to prove who they are to do basic things like opening a bank account, voting etc.. Why aren't all UK citizens issued a free National Idenity Card?

All are of working age and a passport costs about a day's wage. Hardly unreasonable.

But with the cost of living many people are living hand to mouth or are in debt and simply cannot afford to get a passport. We've decided to get passports to make life easier and currently able to afford it but I think it's unfair people should have to pay just to prove who they are. I'd love to know what Martin Lewis thinks about all this but I guess he probably won't even see this thread 😒

born_again

adindas said:

born_again said:

Beachcomber372 said:

My partner and 16,19 and 21 year old sons need ID for opening bank accounts. Proving their identity is very difficult so we've decided to apply for passports for them even though we have no intention of going abroad. All the costs of getting 4 passports is going going to cost about £450 and they will need renewing every 10 years at more cost. How can people on a low income be expected to pay so much just to prove who they are to do basic things like opening a bank account, voting etc.. Why aren't all UK citizens issued a free National Idenity Card?

Driving licence 👍

Generalisation, you are assuming all adults have driving licence ?? And how much does it cost to get a driving licence ??

No, not at all. 
But it is unusual for the ages mention to not want to learn to drive. But each to their own.

General_Grant

born_again said:

adindas said:

born_again said:

Beachcomber372 said:

My partner and 16,19 and 21 year old sons need ID for opening bank accounts. Proving their identity is very difficult so we've decided to apply for passports for them even though we have no intention of going abroad. All the costs of getting 4 passports is going going to cost about £450 and they will need renewing every 10 years at more cost. How can people on a low income be expected to pay so much just to prove who they are to do basic things like opening a bank account, voting etc.. Why aren't all UK citizens issued a free National Idenity Card?

Driving licence 👍

Generalisation, you are assuming all adults have driving licence ?? And how much does it cost to get a driving licence ??

No, not at all. 
But it is unusual for the ages mention to not want to learn to drive. But each to their own.

In fact, in London, it seems to be becoming increasingly the case that teenagers don't want to learn to drive.

friolento

Beachcomber372 said:

Tucosalamanca said:

Beachcomber372 said:

My partner and 16,19 and 21 year old sons need ID for opening bank accounts. Proving their identity is very difficult so we've decided to apply for passports for them even though we have no intention of going abroad. All the costs of getting 4 passports is going going to cost about £450 and they will need renewing every 10 years at more cost. How can people on a low income be expected to pay so much just to prove who they are to do basic things like opening a bank account, voting etc.. Why aren't all UK citizens issued a free National Idenity Card?

All are of working age and a passport costs about a day's wage. Hardly unreasonable.

But with the cost of living many people are living hand to mouth or are in debt and simply cannot afford to get a passport. We've decided to get passports to make life easier and currently able to afford it but I think it's unfair people should have to pay just to prove who they are. I'd love to know what Martin Lewis thinks about all this but I guess he probably won't even see this thread 😒

A 10 year UK passport is £88.50. I appreciate it needs to be paid upfront but then there is no further cost for 10 years.

I don't buy that this is unaffordable for many.

Money_and_Travel

eskbanker said:

If you already happen to have learned how to drive then yes

A Provisional Licence is still an ID.