Are you interested in our approach to acceptance criteria and setting the boundaries for user stories on GOV.UK Verify? Read about this - and the effect it has had on the team - in Kit Carrau’s post on the GDS technology blog.
https://identityassurance.blog.gov.uk/2015/03/09/creating-better-acceptance-criteria/
14 comments
Comment by Srivaree Jones posted on
Just received an email about "marriage allowance transfer" where it says you have to confirm your identity through the Government's "Verify" service. It says you will require a UK pass port or UK photocard driving licence and for the finance area a credit card statement. This seems to assume that all taxpayers have a UK passport, drive, have a credit card and mortgage. They do not, and I have neither and know thousands of others won't either. I don't think someone has thought this through.
Comment by Rebecca Hales posted on
Thanks for your comment.
At the moment you can only use GOV.UK Verify if you have a valid UK passport or photocard driving licence. GOV.UK Verify is in beta, which means it’s being constantly improved and developed. This includes adding more ways for people to prove their identity using documents other than UK passports and driving licences.
If GOV.UK Verify isn’t able to verify your identity at this stage, then a HMRC advisor will be able to verify your identity and take your application by telephone.
Comment by Sylvia posted on
I have neither a mortgage nor a credit card. How can I verify my finances?
Comment by Rebecca Hales posted on
Thanks for your comment.
Whichever certified company you chose will perform some checks before verifying your identity to GOV.UK, such as questions about your financial information only you would know the answer to. You may still be able to verify your identity using GOV.UK Verify, even without a credit card or mortgage.
GOV.UK Verify is currently in public beta – this means that we are constantly updating and improving it based on user feedback. We are aware that a lack of credit rating can cause difficulties when trying to use GOV.UK Verify and are working with the certified companies – including 5 new ones that will be available for you to choose from in the coming months – to expand the range of available data sources to address this issue.
Comment by Andrea McCulloch posted on
Thank you for providing the opportunity to give some feedback on this. I organise much of my life online, I was frustrated that I could not renew my tax credits claim online.
I've never held a photo driving licence and my passport has expired. There must be a substantial number of claimants of working tax credit who are in a similar position, or alternatively if they do have a passport or driving licence, do not hold a credit card or mortgage for the second part of the claim.
Luckily I was able to use the tax credits phoneline voice recognition system and then speak to an adviser to renew my claim quickly and easily, but I would still have preferred to have done it online.
Having just completed my self-assessment for tax online, to get the figures for my claim, is there no way that there could be some link-up with this information for myself and others in a similar position?
Comment by Rebecca Hales posted on
I'm sorry that GOV.UK Verify wasn't able to verify your identity on this occasion.
GOV.UK Verify is in beta, which means it ’s being constantly improved and developed. At the moment you can only use GOV.UK Verify if you have a valid UK passport or photocard driving licence, but we’re working to add more ways for people to prove their identity if they don’t have a UK passport, driving licence or credit history. We’re aiming for 90% of people to be able to use GOV.UK Verify by April 2016 - we’ve published some information about that elsewhere on our blog and will be publishing updates as we progress through the next year.
There will continue to be other ways for people to access services if we’re not able to verify their identity through GOV.UK Verify.
Comment by Janet Lea posted on
Having been invited to participate in the transfer of marriage allowance I logged on and started the journey. I was rejected; by all 3 service providers at the point where I have to give my French address. Never even got to the point of providing my UK passport and driving licence details.
One of the providers responded to tell me that I failed at the name and date of birth stage! What?
Surely you need to get the remaining data from me to verify my identity? How can it fail at such an early stage?
Comment by Janet Hughes posted on
Hello Janet, thanks for commenting and I'm sorry that GOV.UK Verify wasn't able to verify your identity on this occasion.
GOV.UK Verify is in beta, which means it s being constantly improved and developed - at this stage, we are unable to verify people with overseas addresses.
If a provider ended the process before asking for your documents, it's likely that this happened because they've already determined that they won't be able to verify your identity, for example if you've entered an overseas address. If you would like to get some further information about what's happened in your case, please let us know and we will investigate it for you through our support desk.
We’re a beta service, and are constantly working to make it possible for more people to use GOV.UK Verify to access services. We're aiming for 90% of people to be able to use GOV.UK Verify by April 2016 - we’ve published some information about that elsewhere on our blog and will be publishing updates as we progress through the next year.
There will continue to be other ways for people to access services if we’re not able to verify their identity through GOV.UK Verify. If you haven't already, then please do return to the service you wanted to use and follow the guidance on the other ways that exist for you to access the service.
Comment by Marjorie Taplin posted on
Last night I tried to verify but I don't exist despite the fact I am 71 and have lived in this country all my life. I have a passport but no driving licence.
Comment by Rebecca Hales posted on
I'm sorry that GOV.UK Verify wasn't able to verify your identity on this occasion, Marjorie.
GOV.UK Verify is in beta, which means it ’s being constantly improved and developed. At the moment you can only use GOV.UK Verify if you have a valid UK passport or photocard driving licence, but we’re working to add more ways for people to prove their identity if they don’t have a UK passport, driving licence or credit history. We’re aiming for 90% of people to be able to use GOV.UK Verify by April 2016 - we’ve published some information about that elsewhere on our blog and will be publishing updates as we progress through the next year.
There will continue to be other ways for people to access services if we’re not able to verify their identity through GOV.UK Verify. If you haven't already, then please do return to the service you wanted to use and follow the guidance on the other ways that exist for you to access the service.
Comment by Joyce Gunner posted on
I have not been able to verify my identity as although I have a valid passport I do not have a photo driving licence and apparently one does need both. This tax transference scheme was announced 18 months ago so surely the verifying system should be up and running by now.
Comment by Rebecca Hales posted on
Hi Joyce, thank-you for your comment and I'm sorry GOV.UK Verify was unable to verify you at this stage.
The certified companies have to validate a range of evidence to establish that it's really you. That's to protect against someone having stolen a document and being able to use it to pretend to be you. Sometimes it's possible for a certified company to verify your identity using either your passport or your driving licence. They can only do that if they can also validate some other evidence to a sufficient level of confidence like a loan, mortgage or bank account. If for some reason they are not able to do that, then they may have to ask you for both documents instead.
GOV.UK Verify is in beta, which means it’s being constantly improved and developed and we’re working to add more ways for people to prove their identity if they don’t have a UK passport, driving licence or credit history. We’re aiming for 90% of people to be able to use GOV.UK Verify by April 2016 - we’ve published some information about that elsewhere on our blog and will be publishing updates as we progress.
There will continue to be other ways for people to access services if we’re not able to verify their identity through GOV.UK Verify. If you haven't already, then please do return to the service you wanted to use and follow the guidance on the other ways that exist for you to access the service.
Comment by Adele Jones posted on
I tried with one of the certified companies who, at the first instance, said I needed a valid passport or uk photocard driving licence. I have no passport but do have a photocard driving licence. It let me fill in all my details then proceeded to tell me i needed both and refused to let me go any further. Even though it said on the initial page i only needed one or the other. I am very computer savvy but I can see lots of frustrated people trying to use this and getting nowhere.
Comment by Rebecca Hales posted on
Hello, thanks for your comment and I'm sorry you had a frustrating experience.
The certified companies have to validate a range of evidence to establish that it's really you - no single piece of evidence is sufficient. That's to protect against someone having stolen a document and being able to use it to pretend to be you. Sometimes it's possible for a certified company to verify your identity using either your passport or your driving licence. They can only do that if they can also validate some other evidence to a sufficient level of confidence like a loan, mortgage or bank account. If for some reason they are not able to do that, then they may have to ask you for both documents instead.
Over time we plan for the range of evidence you can use, and the range of methods companies can use to validate it, to increase, so you won't need both of these documents.