Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
Is it possible to open a bank account for my 18 year old son without photo ID? I have two significant challenges. Firstly my son refuses to use a mobile phone and secondly the banks are insisting on photo ID in the form of a driving licence (! - provisional or full)) or a passport. He doesn't have an in date passport. If I apply for a provisional driving licence I have to send his birth certificate (which they don't guarantee I will receive back) and a letter from the DWP showing his national insurance number. I can do this but the letter I have shows an amount for mobility support which, I would imagine, may make the likelihood of DVLA granting a provisional licence rather slim. If this is refused my only other option appears to be to apply for a passport at the cost of £75 plus a 10 week wait. This seems ridiculous. Are there really no other options?
Any advice anyone? Is this not disability discrimination?
All advice gratefully received.
Karen x
I’m pretty sure that if you go into the bank, you can use other forms of ID, which must include proof of address etc. it may depend on which bank, but it should be the same for most of the ‘main banks’. It would help to attend in person so you can explain why you are unable to get ID proof (if they ask).
We have tried attending in person. We will try again although there are not that many bank branches these days. I wanted to use a bank within walking distance for my son and he refuses to do online banking etc so the options are extremely limited. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to reply.
Kind regards,
K x