College are making a huge deal of changing two letters of dds name on the register.

[PoppinsandPartridge]

Can anyone explain why?

Dd was born as one name (think Jennifer Smith)
When she was in secondary school, this later legally changed to Jennifer Jones legally.

She hated 'Jennifer (not the actual name) for reasons relating to her Dad who she is now no contact with so when she was 16 she by deed poll changed it to Jennie literally talking two letters out legally by deed poll.

She applied to college as Jennie.
The bank is now Jennie, her bus pass is now Jennie, her passport is in the process of being changed to Jennie.

Her results certificate from school came as Jennifer as that is what it was when she was at school so college have changed it to that.
She has no external exams this year so it isn't a problem apart from her things are coming as Jennifer which is working her up.

I offered a bank statement to prove her name and her bus pass which both required ID obviously but they want the deed poll.

That's fine I can provide it once it comes back from the passport office eventually but I just wondered why it was a big issue in the first place really given at 16 kids can do their own deed poll legally anyway?

I would get her several copies

Make sure they are certified copies done by the solicitor with a stamp and signature, then they can be used instead of sending the original one off here there and everywhere.

Why can't you send photocopies?

Hi. Schoolie here. On some school registration software, there's a facility to have both names eg 'given name' and 'chosen name. It's the chosen name that then appears on the register. Official documents will have the given name but it sorts the register issue in the interim. Depends which software is used. I'm talking about SIMS.

She def needs more than one copy as she's going to be dealing with this all of her life. Any time someone needs her birth cert she's going to need to prove her change of name.

I understand why she might want to change her name and I have no problem with people that change their name for a good reason. Personally I think that something like marriage isn't a good reason as it's such a hassle that a woman will have to prove over and over that she's now Jones instead of Smith. If a woman had to do a deed poll instead she might think a bit longer about it all.

The college have to submit a funding return to the ESFA funding bodies, listing details of all students enrolled. These are checked for fraud, amongst other things, as some colleges have done things such as create imaginary students in order to get more money. The details have to tie in with the Learner Records Service which is a national system tracking qualifications. For these to work properly, details have to match completely. All learners have a ULN (unique learner number) which is generated based on name, date of birth, postcode and NI number. If students' names are changed by a college without correct evidence, then a new (incorrect) ULN would be generated, which causes no end of problems further down the line.

If A N Other officially changes their name to A Other, then college checks official confirmation, confirms this to the LRS, and the ULN is updated to reflect the correct name, meaning certificates for new quals come in the correct name, plus old quals remain linked.
If A N Other just decides on a whim to call themself A Other, and the college changes it on their system without checking evidence, then either they would have to fraudulently tell the LRS that they have checked evidence, or they don't tell the LRS and then you get problems further down the line, because the system thinks there are two separate people, or that the college funding claim has potentially fraudulent entries. Plus if A N Other then needs evidence of their learning later on, it can become very complicated.

Why can't you send photocopies?

Lots of people and institutions won't accept a photocopy because a photocopy can be faked easily.

A certified copy has the stamp of the solicitor's office and their original signature, usually in ink that's not black, so it is seen as an authentic copy.

IME and this is within the last few weeks,
Banks and GP surgery were happy with certified copy, very easy to do in person.

Dentist never asked for any sight of the document, just altered the name on screen there and then.
NS+I have a form online for you to download, complete by hand then post along with Certified Copy of your Deed Poll.
DVLA have a complicated form you either have to buy or collect for free from a Post Office, then return it to them with a Certified Copy of your Deed Poll.

Changing your name is actually quite a big administrative headache - and it goes on for a lifetime I'm afraid. She'll need that deedpoll evidence over and over again so make sure it's kept somewhere safe!

Bollocks. I've done in twice (minor changes) since I was 18. It's very simple.
If she did it though the UK Deedpoll service just call them (they are lovely and search by name anyway), they can have certified copies sent out to you that day, so you'll het it the day after.

"When I changed her name years ago at the doctors, and then recently with the dentist, opticians and even with HMRC no one ever asked for proof."

Things like GDPR have dramatically changed the way companies deal with data.
Especially schools and colleges, where exam fraud/student visa misuse type things are very serious. Each student now has a ULN so her identity will need proof.

It's a PITA, but this will be a good lesson in life admin for your daughter :) she'll learn lots form having to sort this out and avoid this kind of trouble in the future :)

^and I know it isn't a lifetime of having to show it, because I've just got a copy of mine. I lost it and fancied having a copy. It was lost because after changing my passport/bank/driving license I haven't needed it so it's been lost for years.

I did a similar change for a shorter version of my name and never did a deed poll. I just wrote to all authorities concerned that this was now my name. My passport, driving licence, tax, NI, previous military documents, etc are all in my shorter name. There was no problem with any of them. Scots Law may be different on this as I'm a Scot although it was still all the same authorities.

Thanks Girasole02 will try that for now.

ShinyMe that's a really good explanation thanks. Makes sense now!

I changed my name when I was at school to my middle name and there was none of this but I'm very old

Thanks Potcallingkettle will try that.

I should have made her stick to Jennifer when she bloody did her new one.

My parents change my surname to match my dad's when they got married, as he wasn't present at my birth registration so I had to be registered with my mum's maiden name. I wish they had never done so. Every time I need to provide my birth certificate I also have to provide my deeds, and your daughter will need to provide two deeds by the sounds of it. The expense of having these documents alone is frustrating, but having to explain my family history each time I'm proving my legality is worse. If anyone is thinking of changing their child's name, please think about the impact it will have on them for their entire lives, both the paper trail and the explanations.

I changed my name about ten years ago, I still need to regular use my certificate to show proof of my legal name, I have four copies so I always have one handy if needed.

I was at university when I changed mine, I had to submit my certificate for exams, module registration etc. I now work in the finance industry so I regularly need to prove my identity.

When I changed my name I got certified copies done at the same time to send off to all and sundry. I am not sure why this was not suggested to you.

If the college use SIMS (the school system) it actually won't let you change the name unless you can click to verify you have seen the deed poll.

Just to add that it is not a legal requirement to obtain a deed poll in order to change a name.

@TooManyPaws the process for name changes in Scotland is different - you are issued with a new birth certificate & it costs around £50 - but it's not as simple as writing a letter to all authorities.

I changed my name as a teen & was known as my new surname for years - qualifications, doctors, school were all in my new name - but I had to officially change my name to have my passport & driving licence updated (basically any official documents).

The catalyst for my official change was DD as without the official change I'd have had to use my original surname on her birth certificate.

I have some school qualifications in my original name & some in my new name & there were never any issues when I went to college or Uni.

OP the fact that this is the second change but you've actually changed from the original name twice might cause a further issue - the second change should have been from the first change iykwim...

Jennifer Smith to Jennifer Jones
Then Jennifer Jones to Jennie Jones

As this links all 3 names & means that there's a trail of your DD's name changes. If DD has tried to explain the rather messy situation to the college she's most likely not done it very well (she's 16 I wouldn't expect her to) & they are probably just trying to cover their own backs in case she's not giving them a true & accurate account of the situation.

I'd tell DD to suck it up until she can provide the college with official evidence of her name change(s). The fact that she's managed to change from her original name twice is a fundamental flaw in the deed poll system as this should have been flagged up as an issue due to a previous change for the same person.

It is the Deed Poll that proves she is the person named in her exam certificates.

Proof of her name now, bank accounts etc, doesn’t prove that she is the same person who took the exams.

I changed my name by deed poll at 16 and I have to show a copy of the deed poll every time I get a job, for example. Totally normal to need legal proof of a name change.

'The fact that she's managed to change from her original name twice is a fundamental flaw in the deed poll system as this should have been flagged up as an issue due to a previous change for the same person.'

In fairness that's our fault, unless you ask them to store a copy or enrol it fully with the courts there is no register of the name I don't believe.

The reason we were advised to do the new deed poll as from her birth name when she lost her old deed poll is it had only been registered legally at school.
Everywhere else had just changed it without proof and the things we needed proof for (passport , driving license, bank account and government documents have all been done since using her new deed poll and birth certificate and bank statement as proof she is using that name.

So just for school I would have had to get a deed poll Jennifer Smith to Jennifer Jones and backdate it then get a new deed poll Jennifer Jones to Jennie Jones or it wouldn't have linked at all to any of her official documents bar school.

Its literally just school it doesn't tie into it and she does have something non deed poll that would link all three names.

Just for the record this isn't my doing. It is her choice related to a family situation she is no contact with. She doesn't want to be linked at all with that person for good reasons.

I was in the same situation that I was married as Sandra Smith and changed back to Sandra Jones but because I had never changed my passport to my married name and I had my birth certificate and divorce cert everyone just changed mine back.

How does this work for people who register their kids at the doctor and school and dentist in their Mums maiden name after relationship breakdown.

I know someone who split from her boyfriend and the childs Dad is not on scene but the birth certificate says Dads name and everything else including (private) school is under the Mums name. Literally everything?

Surely the best bet would be to do a free deed poll Jennifer Jones to Jennie Jones just for school alongside her passport if that is all they want to see?

That would work right?

I just changed my name, saying I am now XXX, no deed poll. Passport and driving license have been in that name for some time, all I had to do was sign a letter from passport office saying I wished to be known as XXX There is no legal obligation to change name by deed poll but with all the money laundering and employment acts around it's just easier.

*How does this work for people who register their kids at the doctor and school and dentist in their Mums maiden name after relationship breakdown.

I know someone who split from her boyfriend and the childs Dad is not on scene but the birth certificate says Dads name and everything else including (private) school is under the Mums name. Literally everything?*

Generally the child is "known as" the mums surname but any official legal documents would need to be in the same name as the birth certificate.

My DD's were known as my surname for school, doctors etc but they couldn't get a passport issued in that name without proof of a legal name change.