UK State Pension gov site challenges

[beanhead]

* 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

[RetireJapan]

Ugh, that's not fantastic.

Not helpful immediately, but it mIght be worth trying to get a credit card for the sake of maintaining a credit record and to deal with this kind of thing. I'm pretty sure I will never return to the UK, but I have an active bank account, a debit card, and a couple of credit cards just in case.

[beanhead]

Yeah, thanks. I had a Barclaycard when I came here, and a Natwest card as well. I didn't use them so did not renew. I wonder if they will issue a new card to someone living in Japan?

[adamu]

it mIght be worth trying to get a credit card for the sake of maintaining a credit record and to deal with this kind of thing.

I was doing that, then they (Tesco) closed my account as part of their Brexit impact assessment.

Thankfully I can still log in to gov.uk services via a Government Gateway ID that I set up earlier. It seems like a huge oversight that it's now impossible to sign up from abroad if that is the case.

[beanhead]

It seems like a huge oversight that it's now impossible to sign up from abroad if that is the case.

This is what their online support sent me:

To access the online service, it is mandatory for customers to verify their identity by answering verification questions from 2 identity sources.

As you do not meet the current verification criteria, you cannot access the online account via Government Gateway.

Alternatively you may try GOV.UK Verify which uses 3rd party agencies to verify your identity and may allow you to use some HMRC online services.

Verify doesn't work for overseas residents.
If you have left the UK recently or still have a credit record there you may be able to get verified using their credit check. Otherwise, at the moment, no access to online services.

[adamu]

The support team are just echoing what the current situation is, but they don't have any authority to do anything about it. That response also doesn't seem to acknowledge that it's impossible for someone abroad to register, it just mundanely says you "do not meet the current verification criteria". Getting it escalated to somebody with authority (e.g. minister/MP) could be worthwhile - it's possible they don't realise the situation. Although it's also possible they do realise, but don't care.

[beanhead]

The support team are just echoing what the current situation is, but they don't have any authority to do anything about it.

Yeah, understood. I have been asking for contact details of the department who makes the decisions on verification.
No luck so far.

[adamu]

The support team are just echoing what the current situation is, but they don't have any authority to do anything about it.

Yeah, understood. I have been asking for contact details of the department who makes the decisions on verification.
No luck so far.

Short for time at the moment, but this looks like a good starting point. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisat ... governance

[Roger Van Zant]

Yeah, thanks. I had a Barclaycard when I came here, and a Natwest card as well. I didn't use them so did not renew. I wonder if they will issue a new card to someone living in Japan?

I changed my NatWest address to my sister's address and my newly issued cards now get sent there. She then tells me the new numbers on the front and back of the card over the phone (I don't need the physical card, as I only ever use them for online purchases).

[Roger Van Zant]

it mIght be worth trying to get a credit card for the sake of maintaining a credit record and to deal with this kind of thing.

I was doing that, then they (Tesco) closed my account as part of their Brexit impact assessment.

Thankfully I can still log in to gov.uk services via a Government Gateway ID that I set up earlier. It seems like a huge oversight that it's now impossible to sign up from abroad if that is the case.

Same here. Thank goodness I signed up before. Sounds like a real PITA.