People who work for MI5 etc...how do they get mortgages etc where the employer details are asked for

[cakeorwine]

Inspired by another thread.

I assume people who work where they can't divulge who they work for have cover stories. But do the cover stories have "proper" employers with Pay slips, NI numbers etc - so if you had to apply for a mortgage, credit, renting etc, the person enquiring could see a pay slip and say, ok, I'll give you credit.

Are there "switchboards" so someone answering the phone call knows how to answer to say the company name?

Even James Bond needs a place to live and a credit history.

A relative of ours was M15 (or MI6, can’t remember which) but even his parents didn’t know until after he died (too young.). ‘Officially’ IIRC he was with the Foreign Office, so presumably that would have satisfied any mortgage provider.

I wonder how much spies get paid.

Not very much/enough

You can find out by looking at the job advert pages of MI5 and MI6

You go on MN and ask the entire internet.

I think most civil servants are discreet about what they actually do day to day? I'll happily tell people which Dept I work for (try not to say on here although it's obvious to anyone else in the CS) but I don't go into details and generally say 'finance' if I am asked.

But yes I think most people in 5 say they work for the Home Office and those in 6 say the FO.

(No insider knowledge) but aren't spies those in other countries working in a position in that country which gives them inside knowledge - and therefore effectively paid as 'consultants'? Their handlers are civil servants working for MI6 (as analysts?) on bog standard grades - SEOs or G6s...?

My DH didn't have to be discreet because nobody understood what he actually did (but they thought he wrote letters to tell you he thought you were fiddling your taxes).

No idea, but I’m curious what this has to do with MI5!

You say you're a Government Officer. People who are unable to help hinting at a secret life or job would not be employed

If you’re working for the security services or a government organisation with enhanced security, you are either given a cover for public use or restricted information to use. I believe security services use cover employment details rather than restricted.

"Deja-Vu" moment here? 🤔

Yes. I know someone who worked for MI6 in the Middle East and had some made up “cultural something” job title at the Foreign Office.

My children never ask about my work day 🤣

Don't mean to derail the thread, but this reminded me of my first week at secondary school. Our form tutor was going around the class asking what put parents did for work. There was one girl I knew vaguely, because her father worked with my dad in the MOD. When asked what her dad did for work she replied " I can't tell you, because he works for the secret service." I had just said that my dad worked at *** offices.

Half of Cheltenham works at GCHQ.

They're listed as civil servants and they get normal payslips etc.

If their kids ask about their day they are told about the coffee machine breaking or yet more boring meetings - some things are the same in all organisations.

You are listed as a civil servant for the benefit of tax and pay with such jobs and this is what you put when applying for such things.

"And would love to know about the HR and Health and Safety training!"

I wonder if they have to sit through manual handling and fire safety training every year or two?

Doesn’t everybody have to do that?

Even James Bond?

My role isn't secret but there are people working in secret roles in my department, and there's a lot of guidance on what to say, including when completing the census and what we are and aren't allowed to disclose on social media or email. Certain locations are covert so if you go there you are provided with a cover story and fake lanyards. Generally, you are advised to pick something boring, like finance or admin, and say that to avoid further questions. I work in HR so it's already boring enough.

I taught an 8 yo once who said that her Dad worked for the Ministry of Silly Walks. He worked away a lot. I'd love to know what he actually did!

My guess is something mundane like a postman

You know data protection particularly in the finance sector means no one is allowed access to say mortgage applications that don’t need it. Any employee has restricted access to the least amount of systems and info required to just do their job nothing else. In other words it doesn’t really matter what it says as so few people get to see it and those who do are usually on an nda that doesn’t allow them to talk about the info seen.