I need a bank account but i have little to no i.d, can i open one without id? even a e-account for my wages?i can't get a passport because to get one i need either my mothers or fathers birth,death or marrage certificate and i am unable to get any of them. i have very little money so i can't get a driving licence and even if i did have the money i have not enough i.d to get one. I have a tattered birth... |
You will be able to open a " Basic Bank Account" with any of the high street banks. Look for one that offers a debit card like Natwest, Halifax or Co-op.
A letter from the benefits agency plus your employer should be enough. I know they all say either a full driving licence or a passport, but not everyone drives or goes abroad. Ring their head office and ask what alternatives they will accept.
I have faced this problem myself and found the people who work in the bank mindless automatons.
Another alternative that you can look into, is a prepaid credit or debit card. They can cost up to £10, but your employer can pay your wages onto them. I would consider this as a stop-gap until you are more established ID wise.
If you were born in the UK you can request a copy of your birth certificate from your British Consulate not sure how much it will cost. If you were born in South Africa you would need to contact the South African Embassy in London to request a copy of your birth certificate but this can take 12 months for the birth certificate to arrive to yourself. If your parents were born in the UK and you were as well then you don't need their birth certificates to get a passport however if you were not born in the UK you will then need their birth certificates to get a passport. Now a days no bank will open a account with out a passport or a drivers licence plus 2 other forms to confirm that you live at the address that you have given. I had this problem with both my teenage daughters as they were born in SA and parents were born in the UK but it was resolved. Good LUCK.
The main reason you need ID to open any sort of bank account is to comply with something called money laundering requirements. Talk to your new employer and ask if they will give you a letter for your proposed bank/building society, confirming that the money will be coming direct from them as legitimate salary.
The poor credit rating shouldn't be an issue if you apply for a savings account. This will often give you a card you can use to draw money at cashpoint machines, but it won't let you draw out more money than you have in the account (ie no credit/overdraft facilities).
Hope this helps - good luck!
It is expensive to get a passport, and prices are going up all the time. You will probably need two pieces of identification. From what I have read, are not your tattered birth certificate, and a benefit agency letter/form P45 adequate? Most banks are happy to get your business, especially as you have just got a new job.
Why don´t you go to Citizens Advice Bureau for help? Banks are really tough I know from personal experience.
You can also ask your employer to introduce you to his bank or to give you a letter to take to the bank. I know a friend in London who did this, it´s normal practise apparently. Good Luck!
You can request a certified copy of your birth certificate from the Health Department.
You don't need your parents birth certificates to get a passport, you need YOURS. Do you know where you were born? If so, its fairly easy to get a replacement birth certificate.
Natwest... I had problems opening a account for my wages to go in but went on-line to natwest and was not a problem. Try it.
what about your phone bill? use that as ID. You usually need two forms of ID, one photo proof and one to prove address
