Not got my original birth certificate, work won’t accept the copy, help?

[BCGoneIDontKnowWhat]

When I was a child (I’d have been 8 or 9) my parents house caught fire while we were away on holiday. Everything destroyed including my original birth certificate.

My parents insurance immediately purchased certified copies from the General Register Office (GRO).

I’ve never had an issue using this certificate ever; I applied for a driving license using it. I registered my DD for school using this certificate (both the council and her school wanted to see my BC and accepted this copy as proof she was entitled to an education).

I’ve held down jobs in the past and they’ve been fine with it.

My parents and siblings have also got certified copies of their certificates for the same reason and never had issues.

Until now.

My current work have been doing right to work checks and asked for my original birth certificate. I explained I had this certified copy and have never had an issue using it, but work will not accept it. They’ve said it needs to be the original certificate issued with a year of my birth.

I’ve explained I no longer have that certificate and that this one was purchased by the insurance company to replace the original and I’ve never had an issue using it, but they insist it has be the original certificate.

No matter which way I explain I cannot get the original certificate as it was destroyed they say there’s nothing they can do and they have to prove my right to work.

If I send off to the GRO for another copy this isn’t good enough they want the original certificate.

Help, what else can I do?

Have you been dealing with the same person about this issue OP as it seems they do not know their job correctly. It seems strange they accepted the copy of your birth certificate for your DBS check but not for the current check. I have had certified copies of my birth certificate and marriage certificate accepted for job roles. I would put everything in writing to them in the form of an email/letter and ask them what they would like you to do about it. You can't magic up your certificate as it was destroyed, they seem unsupportive and inept, as others have said all certificates are certified copies of a registered entry! How frustrating!

@JulesJules

They are idiots. I think they have confused 'copy of birth certificate' - which all birth certs are as the original is the register - with 'photocopy' of the certificate which is often not admissible.

Sounds like it, which shows that the person requesting the Birth Certificate hasn't got the first clue of what they are talking about.

Very frustrating for you OP, I would go make the point in writing, provide a link to the Government requirements, cc someone higher up in the organisation. If this numpty continues to be a numpty I'd be tempted to complain about their harassment of you.

I have taken the certificate into HR, it's them saying they need the original. It's definitely not a photocopy.

I've pointed out in my email that I used it to get my DBS check and my driving license so can they please explain why it's now not acceptable for Right to Work?

I've also started the passport application. I want to go abroad at some point anyway so it's not totally random but I wasn't going to do it until I'd booked a holiday as I want as many years as I can on the passport. But oh well.

Does it have a stamp saying certified copy on it? It's possible to make a certified copy of a birth certificate (essentially a certified copy of a certified copy) so I'm wondering if that's what you have and that's what is causing the confusion?

They are being absolute dickheads about this.

@NotVictorianHonestly

Does it have a stamp saying certified copy on it? It's possible to make a certified copy of a birth certificate (essentially a certified copy of a certified copy) so I'm wondering if that's what you have and that's what is causing the confusion?

@NotVictorianHonestly No stamp, says at the top "Certified Copy of Birth" then has the GRO stamp on and the description at the bottom that says "This is a certified copy of a birth, still-birth or death within England or Wales"

I had this exact same issue when I applied for a new job some years ago, they just could not understand that all birth certs are copies from the registry. I lost the job offer because of it.

Hope you have a better outcome than I had.

says at the top "Certified Copy of Birth" then has the GRO stamp on and the description at the bottom that says "This is a certified copy of a birth, still-birth or death within England or Wales"

Which is exactly what my Certificate says as all certificates are a copy of the detail in the Register held by the Registrar.

It seems the problem is the date of issue of said Certificate but that's irrelevant as it is an exact copy of the details held in the Register which were registered at the time of your birth, I am sorry you are dealing with such idiots OP.

Am confused, surely lots of birth certificates are amended at a later date when unmarried parents get married and legitimise their children, maybe decades after the birth.

I've never had a job do a right to work check, is that standard? Or is it a security thing for a particular type of job?

Do the HR at work think you personally or someone else can change the details in the Register of Births, Marriages and Death, a document held securely by the Registrar? Are they that foolish?

In my employment we have to provide such documents for DBS checks, I have been working for the same company for 20 years so since I left school.

Suddenly they cannot accept my certified copy due to the date it was signed. My original was misplaced when I was 4 and I got a certified copy when I was 18 but apparently it's no longer acceptable, I am like but I have worked here for 20 years 🤣

@Useranon1

I've never had a job do a right to work check, is that standard? Or is it a security thing for a particular type of job?

Yes @Useranon1 all employees should do it

@BCGoneIDontKnowWhat in that case I wonder too if they're confusing 'copy' with photocopy.
I'd just say 'this is all I have.... sounds like you're going to have to sack me them' 😂

@Useranon1

I've never had a job do a right to work check, is that standard? Or is it a security thing for a particular type of job?

You have never had to prove that you are eligible to work in the UK? Even when starting with a new company?

Sorry, yes I have I'm being thick. Forgot a passport counts! Was thinking I'd never been asked for a birth certificate and jumped the gun

I was issued with a shortened copy of my birth certificate when I was adopted.

Surely insisting on an original copy would be discriminatory?

I used to have to check birth certificate for insurance purposes. The law (in England & Wales) was that we could not accept photocopies but that copies issued by the Registrar were acceptable. They were deemed to be originals. It was copies made by someone other than the Registrar that were no good. It sound to me (assuming you're in England or Wales) that your employer is misinterpreting the law.

@Cuck00soup I think under those circumstance you could possibly provide the adoption certificate as it will show date of adoption, date of issue.

Now if in OP circumstance if it was a duplicate copy because the original was mislaid then that's when the same rules would apply, but who knows, I honestly can't believe a certified copy isn't acceptable.

HR can ask for it all they like but you don't have it. Ask them, "apart from the original birth certificate I don't have because my entire house burnt down when I was 8, what documents can I provide you that would satisfy your right to work requirements?"

For right to work checks, you can use any birth certificate, regardless of when it was issued.

For DBS checks, a birth certificate issued within one year of birth is a Group 1 document; a certificate issued afterwards is a Group 2a document. You can use a birth certificate issued later than one year after your birth, but that changes the other documents that you need to provide, which might be where the confusion arises.

See www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-identity-checking-guidelines/id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-1-july-2021

I've pointed out in my email that I used it to get my DBS check and my driving license so can they please explain why it's now not acceptable for Right to Work?

They're being really thick about this. Show them the rules (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1047370/2022_01_17_Employer_s_Guide_.pdf), and tell them to point out where it says that the certificate must be issued within one year of birth.

[quote MongerTruffle]For right to work checks, you can use any birth certificate, regardless of when it was issued.

For DBS checks, a birth certificate issued within one year of birth is a Group 1 document; a certificate issued afterwards is a Group 2a document. You can use a birth certificate issued later than one year after your birth, but that changes the other documents that you need to provide, which might be where the confusion arises.

See www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-identity-checking-guidelines/id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-1-july-2021[/quote]
@MongerTruffle I used my provisional license for my DBS check but they won't accept that for right to work only the full license which I don't have (yet).

I have also shown them my marriage certificate (due to my bank accounts being in a different surname to my birth certificate and NI card) and they said it's the date on Birth Certificate thats the issue, but there is no date of when it was issued it only records the date the birth was registered which is two days after I was born.

The only issue I can see with the certificate is it only has my dads signature and that of the registrar. My mums is not on there because they were married when I was born so dad went alone to register me (as he did with all 3 of us)

I used my provisional license for my DBS check but they won't accept that for right to work only the full license which I don't have (yet).

Take a look here:

www.gov.uk/legal-right-work-uk

A driving licence (neither provisional nor full) won't do because it doesn't prove anything about your immigration status.
You need to show your birth certificate and some kind of official document showing your NI number.

As many others have said—the date doesn't matter. I would just keep pushing them on that; ask them to show you where the government has said that the birth certificate needs to be dated within 1 year of birth (they won't be able to).