We are required by law to check the identity and address details of all account holders. To do this, we need to see one document from each of the two lists shown below. You cannot use the same document to verify your name and address.

Proof of your identity for account holders aged 18+
For account holders aged 18 and over, we require one form of identification from each of the following two lists.

List 1 - Proof of your name

• Current signed passport
• Current UK driving licence (old full licence or new photocard licence) 
• HM Revenue and Customs tax notification e.g. tax assessment, statement of account or notice of coding (P45s and P60s are not accepted)
• Original notification letter from the Benefits Agency confirming the right to benefits or state pension. 

List 2 - Proof of your address

• Utility bill (less than 3 months old and not a mobile phone bill)
• Council tax bill (for the current year)
• Bank, building society or credit card statement (less than 3 months old)
• Most recent mortgage statement from a recognised lender (less than 12 months old) 
• Current UK driving licence (old full licence or new photocard licence)  
• Original notification letter from the Benefits Agency confirming the right to benefits or state pension
• Correspondence sent to you by HM Revenue and Customs

Proof of your identity for account holders aged 10 - 17
For account holders aged 10 - 17, we require one form of identification from each of the following two lists.

List 1 - Proof of your name

• Current signed passport
• Birth certificate

List 2 - Proof of your address

• Your parent or guardian's recent gas, electric or telephone bill (not mobile phone bill)
• A letter from your school, college or workplace confirming your name and address

Proof of your identity for adult account operators and children under 10
If the account holder is under the age of 10, the account must be opened and operated by an adult. We require one form of identification from each of the top two lists to prove the adult's identification. We also require either the child's passport or birth certificate.

If you cannot provide one item from each list, please contact your local branch for further guidance.

We will need to see the original documents when opening your account. Alternatively, we will accept photocopies by post, certified by a solicitor or FSA-regulated firm, provided we have sufficient information to be able to contact that person. For security, please do not forward original documents to us by post.

If you already have an account with the Society, and the details we have about you have not changed, then we may not need to check your name and/or address. Please enquire at your local branch for further details.

We reserve the right to carry out any further checks on your identity if we think we need to do so in order to comply with our legal obligations.

As part of these checks, we may make searches with credit reference agencies.