Opening a bank account

[dadadeedadada]

Just as the title says really. My son (18) is trying to open his first bank account because he has a job offer. At the moment he is still a student and we are waiting for his provisional driving license to come back (sent in December they sent the form back 2 weeks ago because he hadn't crossed one of the boxes, he crossed the box and I sent it back) he does not have a passport.
I went down to the bank with him to explain why he does not have photo ID, yet.
I had his birth certificate, a child benefit letter that he's named on, my tax credit award that he's named on, his national insurance number letter that is addressed to him and my own photo ID.
The lady at the bank said she couldn't help, he has to have photo ID. She did say he could get a letter of confirmation from his college and a letter of introduction from the GP. The letter from the GP (who wouldn't know him if she fell over him to be honest) has to be very specific, letter headed paper, proper signature from the doctor etc.
I've just tried to phone DVLA, got "all our lines are busy, bye" just phoned the doctors who will print his details of the computer but the GP won't sign it and it won't be letter headed paper.
I'm worried his job offer will disappear before we can get an account sorted. Can anybody give any suggestions on what to do next, or do we just have to wait?
The bank we tried was Lloyds, would he fare better with a building society.
How do people without photo ID get bank accounts? I can't imagine somebody claiming UC or whatever having the cash to throw at the DVLA or the passport office so there must be a way.
Please help, and thanks for reading all that, I know you don't like a drip feed round here so I've tried to get it all out at once, haha.

I don't think you're a shit mum for having been too broke to open a child's bank account. Its something you do if there is spare money.

At work I've found Natwest the most receptive to helping people who don't have a passport or driving licence to get an account. If you call their main number, you can then ask for the "exceptions team" who help people in your son's situation.

If he can't get sorted in time, I would suggest he gets his wages paid into your account rather than trying to cash cheques. Once he has payslips this is another form of proof of ID/address, which will help.

sorry, missed that paying into your account is a non-starter, although I'm not clear why there would be tax implications.

berlinbabylon
and they overlooked the fact that it wasn't on headed paper!
Proof of address will become harder as electronic billing and communications take over.

I don't know why people object to ID cards so much - it would be so much easier if all you had to show was an ID card.

An ID card is a card form of a passport, government recognition that you are who you say you are to the government.
To get a passport the applicant needs to be verified by a citizen who already has a passport

www.gov.uk/confirm-identity-online-for-passport-application

Small cycle develeping here as the citizen, who has to have a professional ("middle class life"), has to be friends with the applicant. But a successful professional is not going to be living in next door in government assisted housing estates so access to a passport becomes dependent on social class and friendship groups.

Also once the government allocate a unique identifier the bureaucrat system tends take over and build whole systems which is not always beneficial for the individual.
Eg
Ireland employee NI & pension contributions were track by allocating a social benefit number.
The government changed it to a tax number.
Then everyone working or not had to have a number.
Then the government decided everyone had to have a card with their picture and the number.
Then the pension system was built to reject pension claims for people who did not have a card.
www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/woman-s-pension-cut-after-she-refuses-to-get-public-services-card-1.3194216

@Findingneeemo

Call the council tax office and get his name out on the bill. They are usually very quick to reissue the letter. Do the same for gas/ electric and water. Call hmrc and ask for a tax code notification letter. That’s 4 pieces of ID. I’ll have a look to see if I can find someone who will take them.

Just quoting you to let others know that having your name on a water bill is NOT proof anymore.

I needed to get a new blue disability badge from the local council. Despite having one the previous two years I had to provide relevant id proof. They only accepted passport (dont have one), driving licence with photo (I have old paper one), name on council tax bill (only in husbands name) or a letter from DWP regarding disability benefits (only mentioned after a very long phone call). They wouldn't even accept me being on the electoral role at the same address for 25 years. Its ridiculous.

You are kinda screwed as you need id to get id to get anything in this counnty so how the hell do scammers, esp bank fraudsters keep opening bank accounts to siphon off your savings and pensions before transferring it abroad??

The bank worker was doing her job properly. The fact she didn't give you what you wanted when you wanted it isn't really her being a 'jobsworth' it is her following a policy with strict rules that she has no choice but to abide by or she might find herself out of a job

I'm not sure she was. There will be an exceptions team and she was too lazy to get in touch with them by the sounds of it.

The whole ID system in this country definitely disadvantages the poor. Had this conversation with DS yesterday as he's just got a new job and has had to provide all sorts of ID. He is fortunate enough to have both a Passport and Driving licence but the on line form he was filling in was asking for utility bills - which he doesn't have! He's always lived at home or in student housing where bills were included in the rent. He has, fortunately has a bank account since he was 14 though.
I did say that an ID card system would surely save a lot of problems for people who wouldn't ordinarily have photo ID.

My DM lived to be 86 without ever having a passport or driving licence as she didn't need either!

Just a thought do you have a credit union in your area op? They are usually much easier to open with less if and you can get your wages etc. Paid there. Then you an use the credit union account as id for proper bank account. Hope this helps xxx