General Chat

I have an account with a well known High Street Bank which has become 'dormant'...not used for a number of years. Because of circumstances I decided that it would be advisable to activate this account which holds over 50.00 of MY money. I am over 50 years of age born in this country, have been married over 30 years and lived in the same house for over 25 years...so no bills are in my name...my passport expired last year..I don't drive...I am not an immigrant...I have not been to prison...I have not had a letter from the Inland Revenue changing my Tax Code...I don't claim any benefits or draw a pension and I don't know anyone who has an account with this Bank....so I can prove that a person of my name lives at my address but I cannot prove that, that person is ME....so my account cannot be re-activated. I am not about to send my 50.00 to Bin Laden...I am not involved in drug traffiking...I am a normal citizien of this Country who has no rights...have I gone mad or is it the rest?????

Doesnt a birth certificate count??

You can only use a birth certificate if you are under 18 !!!!

Would your doctor sign a declaration of who you are if you wrote it out for him first? Chrissie p.s. I nearly said "or your bank manager" LOL

The bank have a list of documents which they can accept and a doctor's note isn't there...unless of course he holds an account with the Bank

I have come to the conclusion that I am a 'non-person'!!!!!

No...it has to be a current passport

I have worked for my current employer for over 3 years and can produce wage slips and P60's but even these are not acceptable because they are produced by an 'employer' and not 'the government'

Yes - if I was under 18 my birth certificate would be acceptable but at 57...... All I can do is learn to drive or re-new my passport....how stupid......but if I was an immigrant or a released criminal I would have no problem....

No bills in my name - all in hubbys - never thought I would need them and lets face it who wants bills coming with their name on.....I feel like a second class citizen...law abiding but second class Do people realise that if they want to sell their house and engage a Solicitor they also have to go through this process????? Can YOU prove who you are????

No help in time for this problem Christine but just a suggestion for the future. When the Gas, Electric etc started sending bills with just my husbands name on them I rang and told them that until the bill was addressed to Mr AND Mrs they wouldn't get paid. They have come addressed to us both ever since. Chrissie

Had my marriage certificate with me....not on the list and doesn't prove who I am.....we have all sent for certificates haven't we? Had a bank card from another bank with my signature on...you name it...all the things which I thought proved my identity are not on the list - they want current passport - driving licence - EU Identity Card - prisoners release card - pension or benefit book - birth certificate if under 18 - immigrants identity card - notification of coding from the Inland Revenue....none of which I have !!!!

Just a note to all female members of the site who may be married but possibly divorce or separate - can you prove who you are - you may work and have your salary paid into a joint account - can you open a new account in your name. Just be aware that anyone over the age of 18 who doesn't drive or has no passport is will have great difficulty in opening a Bank account

Just to emphasise that if my husband died (God forbid) and I needed to sell this house any Solicitor I engaged would need the exact proof the Bank needed

We have just bought a new house and we both had to supply 2 utility bills each and there was a least and you had to have one of them, luckily I had my passport as I didnt have any others on the list. So if I hadnt of had the passport I dont reckon we could of moved. It is absolutely appauling.

Perhaps there is something to be said for identity cards after all! I often found myself in this situation but luckily I have now got a passport (my first one at age 54 lol). Surely although your passport has expired - your photo should still be recognisable? - I think they are being a bit 'Jobsworth' here - write to head office! Magsx

I am having a similar problem - havn't used the account for donkeys years and want to move my saving to another account in another country (both accounts in my personal name) and the first bank does not want to give me my money back. We are talking of a considerable sum.

Hi Christine I worked for a Building Society for 8 years (up to 2 years ago) and know quite a fair bit about dorment accounts. Before your account was classed as "Dorment" they should have written to you asking you to contact them, then if you didnt contact them within the specified time they would have classed it as a dorment account. Unfortunately due to the money laundering regulations the bank/building society really do have their hands tied, as any transaction on that account would be flagged up to their money laundering department and they would want to know the ins and outs of why this account is suddenly been used. Your best bet is to speak to the Branch Manager of the Bank/Building Society and if you dont get anywhere with that then contact your Citzen Advice Bureau. If you would any more info/advice let me know, but bear in mind things could have changed in the last 2 years. Karen I would also like to point out that the Bank/Building Society are doing this also to save guard your money. Your passbook could have landed in someone elses hands/you could have died etc, how would you feel if you went into the bank/Building Society and they just took your word for it that you were the account holder and handed you over the money? they dont know you, they have to make sure that theyre giving the money to the person it belongs to and not some tom, dick or harry who has broken into your house and found it.