To think I don't have to vote in my married name?

[DuelingFanjo]

A few weeks ago I received a form to do with voting and had to provide my national insurance number. The form was in my maiden name as is my passport, bank account and council tax bill.

I sent it back, signed in my maiden name, and today received a form telling me I had changed my name from my maiden name to my married name and I must send them my marriage certificate and fill in another form.

I don't want to vote in my married name. Everything i do is in my maiden name, I haven't changed anything into my married name apart from changing my name with my GP so that it matches my son's name. I actually did this while I was pregnant at the suggestion of the midwife.

Is it this (as it is connected to my NI number) that has triggered the response from the council? Am I going to have to go back to my GP to change my medical records?
Maybe I was beng unreasonable to change my name at the GP?

Odd.

How about Tax and child benefit? Which name are they in?

It's a total PITA to attempt to run two 'legal' names.

The MW certainly gave you duff advice (my DC's surname is not the same as mine and this has never, ever been a problem with NHS), so I suggest you do change it back, assuming you want to be definitively Ms Fanjo (not Mrs DHname).

I have no idea how this bloody government is sharing data sets between departments these days, so cannot predict who is telling who what.

But I would get back to the electoral people and state you have not changed your name, you want the registration to proceed with your unchanged name, and would like to know the source of the wrong information (threaten them with DPA at this point if they get bolshy).

Child benefit goes into my bank which is n my maiden name but I am not sure which name I used when I registered for it. I think I would have used my maiden name so it wouldn't cause confusion with my bank account.

Tax, well all my work related stuff is in my maiden name.

I wonder if by getting married your married name is automatically changed on your NI record?

Thanks Stella. Imhave written a letter and sent it back with the form.

they cant change a name without your say so as not everyone changes their name after marriage.

No, it isn't automatically changed. I did not change my name on marriage and (other than one blip by someone making assumptions at the place I then worked) nothing changed by any third parties.

There is no information flow from registry office or church to any other bodies. They provide the written proof of the marriage (in the for of the licence) and then it's up to you.

GP records shouldn't be linked to your NI number in any direct way. I strongly suspect something HMRC related is to blame. Do you have any Child Benefit letters to check.

The new electoral system this year is NI number dependent and very much in the teething stage.

I do know that when I changed my name for child benefit, HMRC automatically 'migrated' (their parlance) that change across all accounts and claims they held for me (including Child support, NI, my child's DLA claim) without asking. It caused mayhem.

From memory I had to tell hmrc, doctors, banks, utilities when I did change my name. I cannot believe that any systems are joined up to update it automatically. You don't have to vote in your married name. I think the two names may make life more complicated though so I'd change it back with the GP.

Yes, I would go back to the GP and change back to your maiden name - GPs, schools etc can cope perfectly well with parents who have different surnames from their children, they do it all the time. And it is an awful lot simpler for you just to have one name that you use everywhere, on all forms of ID and paperwork.

When we receive a form from the Council (every Octoberish, I think) asking us to confirm who lives at this address and is eligible to vote, it changed only twice. Once when I left my Ex off it and secondly when I added my new DH to it. Whoever filled in your last one must have entered your DH's name as your surname.

I wonder if by getting married your married name is automatically changed on your NI record?

But not that, no.

It will be a change you've made, something small.

Happy the system is changing this year to a NI-number linked system. To prevent voting fraud.

Add message | Report | Message poster HappyAgainOneDay Sat 13-Sep-14 it. Whoever filled in your last one must have entered your DH's name as your surname.

I don't think it can be that as I filled it in and it was only addressed to me, not my husband. It was different to the one we usually get and I did it online.

That's really odd.

Are you sure it's a legit letter? I wouldn't be wild keen to send off my marriage certificate for that.

I can't see what they'd get out of it as a scam, but asking for original documents when you never changed your name does seem a bit suspect.

I agree it does sound strange. The most likely thing I thought was that the previous electoral form was filled in and your married name was put down. But you say this isn't the case. There should be a phone number to ring so I'd try that first. I wouldn't have thought the name you were registered with at your doctor's would have any bearing on the electoral role. I agree with not sending in your marriage certificate.

Phone the council up. I had to send my original marriage certificate to the passport office to change my name. Every other institution was happy with a certified copy. I can't understand why they'd need it when you don't want to change it

I can't understand why they'd need it when you don't want to change it

To prove the link to the maiden name.

ATM, for some reason, OP's married name comes up against her NI number.

I'll have £20 with you child benefit is the culprit OP

You could ring the CHB office to check if you are wary.

It should also still be possible to call in person on the electoral roll team at your town hall.

I have changed my work email to my married name only because my son is in a work attached nursery and I didn't want any confusion in an emergency. Maybe that means all my work pay stuff is now agains my married name? So this would mean it is my fault. Doh. But still a pain.

If payroll have taken it as a cue to change the PAYE, then that could be it.

My maiden name is only used for legal purposes, like filling out forms and paying bills. Everywhere else I use my married name. Once I'm hired, I make sure the company email matches my married name.

I need to legally change it, it's just a lot of hoops to jump through and a hassle to get my name changed on every single bill, credit card, ID, and bank statement.

I vary between my maiden and married name. Nothing should change on the electoral roll without you changing it. Sounds odd to me.

Even HMRC can cope with the 2 name thing if tax is due (because your individual reference number doesn't change). Do check the child benefit etc but don't send off your certificate, rather tell them you're sticking with maiden name.

It's highly unlikely they'd need the original though

Of course not, you haven't changed your name. Inform them that they've made an error.

Out of interest, if I had wanted to change my name on marriage how would I go about it? I mean legally and in the eyes of... Who? The,aw, the government? The local council?