Passports Experts needed please! - Do all passport applications need the identify checking?

[LightUpTheWoods]

I applied for new passports for the DC last night. They are both chid passports.

At the end of doing DD's application it asked me for the email address of someone to confirm her identity. This is as expected and this is what we did. The confirming person has not done it yet, so we do not have an address to send DD's application to yet. If we track it online, it says waiting for ID check.
This will be her second child passport.

I was not asked the details of anyone to confirm DS's application when I did it, and the email we got from the passport office gives the address of where to send it (liverpool passport office). If I go and track DS's application online, all it says is to send in his old passport to the Liverpool office. Nothing about ID checking . This will be his third child passport.

Does DS not need his photo ID checked then? I thought all applications did!
This is doing my head in!

I don't know if this is relevant, but I did a typo in DS's application (think similar to Thomsa instead of Thomas). I spoke to the Passport office this morning who have noted this error, and asked me to write a covering letter when I send his old passport back, but said noting about ID checking.

Have I broken the system with my typo???
It was so much easier with a paper form!
I'm saying "we" a lot, because DH did DD's application after I realised my error with DS's!

Anyone?

We had this. DS10 needed a counter signatory straight away, DD15 did not. I can only imagine it's because the older they get, the more recognisable they might be from their old passport photo. Eg when you're an adult renewing, you only need someone to sign if your new photo is not recognisably the same person as your old photo, they apply this to older children too.

In the end, a few days after I sent DD15s off, they decided they couldn't say for sure her 15 yr old photo was the same person as the 10 yr old photo they had, so we had to get a counter signatory to say it was definitely her anyway.

Ah, thank you. That would make sense as DS is 14. So it is a thing that they might but want him ID-one at this stage. Brill. I'll send it off.

Over 12s don't need the ID thing. I know this as just renewed 14yos passport and it wasn't necessary as they're over 12; I did have to do it for youngest who was 10 when I renewed his passport.