beanhead wrote: ↑Sun Oct 24, 2021 9:57 am
* for folks voluntarily contributing to the UK state pension or planning to do so *
As has been discussed on a thread or two, it is now impossible for most long-termers to set up a gov account online and actually get verified. This is because the government geniuses have chosen to make a UK credit check a required part of the verification process. This excludes those of us with no credit record in the UK.
I have attempted a couple of times to find someone sensible at HMRC to find a way around this. Not successful so far, but I am not giving up yet.
Request for others in the same situation: please fill out the online 'help form' saying that you want to check your pension forecast but are unable to do so because the site does not give you an option to verify yourself.
I am hopeful that if they get a few requests for the same thing, they will have to consider making a change...
Thanks
The HMRC "customer" forum is a treasure trove if, like me, you take pleasure seeing people suffer..
https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerf ... 0d3a7ed518
Not a non-resident but someone failing verification claims success by...
"I only resolved all this by ditching the frontline Technical/Customer Help thingy, making a formal complaint and bashing away until I got the personal services of a manager from the Digital Complaints Team early in 2019.
I rated the whole experience as the most frustrating, time-wasting, time-consuming thing I have ever been involved with."
Belongs on a book jacket to be honest. But I don't think they bypassed the credit check.
The lowest post there by "HMRC Admin 2" on page 1 is quite informative and outlines how to start the
complaint process.
This passage from Barbara from page 2 of that link sums things up quite beautifully:
"It is somewhat ironic that they have now made this difficult at best and impossible at worst. We can only conclude from our experience that it is not enough for them to have passport, driving licence and card details as well as a selfie: For them, the absence of debt throws doubt on your existence.
Interestingly, today on 'Any Questions' on Radio 4 Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, an expert on risk and statistics at Cambridge University, reported that the questions on credit history prevented him also from registering for am online identity with Government Verify. He confirmed that only 42 percent of those who have tried have managed it. Is this regarded as a success by the Government?"
The forum has other examples of people struggling as unable to pass the credit check. Just bang in some suitable search terms. Then filter for past six months. They'll never run out of complaints based on what I found!
I reached out to the helpdesks for the postoffice and digidentity. They confirmed if you can't pass the credit check you can't pass verification. Interestingly, their own published advice is less direct and implies there is some wriggle room.
https://helpdesk.digidentity.com/hc/en- ... -identity-
Although it's not clear to me which of those apply to you as you aren't
claiming a pension at this time.
It implies Credit check is just
one of the options they can employ.
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/government-verify
"why am I being asked questions about my financial history
If you cannot verify enough evidence from documents, you will be asked some identity questions. These questions are designed to be answered only by you, so we can be sure that you are who you say you are. If you get stuck at this stage, please don’t guess the answer. Double check your details and pause your registration if necessary."
If this stage is not passed successfully, you still have the chance of completing the process by re-uploading your passport or driving licence using the Post Office GOV.UK Verify app. This requires you to take a photo of your document and of yourself, so we can check it’s definitely you with your document.
"
They did confirm you just need a prior address to register.
I even stumbled upon the(our?) "international pensions centre" !
https://www.gov.uk/international-pension-centre
I sent them the same question about the credit check requirement on a their Webform. That webform doesn't even generate the automated, "thanks for contacting us" response email.... Obviously I've heard nothing back. (and their referenced twitter account doesn't exist.)
If it were me and I had time to burn I'd;
1/ Create an account with Digitdentity or PostOffice. Let it fail naturally then go "postal" with the digital complaints team. Highlight the verify app that compares a selfie against biometrics stored in your passport (using a phone/tablet with NCF reader). As for other options to verify your identity.
2/ Reach out to the folks running this podcast (of course there's a podcast) here. (Lots of interesting articles here btw.)
https://gds.blog.gov.uk/category/id-assurance/
"Helena Trippe and Will Myddleton share how the Digital Identity team works with colleagues in departments, like guest Tom Stewart from Veterans UK, to ensure users are getting the most out of services."
It is worth noting that the gov is already driving a single sing on and identity solution for
all branches of gov.
https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2021/07/13/a-si ... overnment/
The video should be mustic to your ears and talks specifically about accommodating people that may not have passport/full credit history.
And it could be ready as soon as 2024!!
If terms of what lies at the crux of HMRC's over reliance on credit history I found this an interesting read.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... s-identity
My observations to anyone who agreed the standard for HRMC is; what level of verification do you really need to view your pension history versus what level you might need to put in bank account details and start claiming the pension.
Unfortunately, if those two types of service can't be split in HMRC onleine systems, then they'll be looking for the higher level of verification from anyone.
I wonder if the digital complaints team have authority to allow a knowledge based phone quiz instead. Challenging your knowledge of tv-shows and music from your youth.
"What did a phone-in caller call Matt Bianco during Saturday Superstore 1984?"
)