Summary
You may be asked to verify your identity if you haven't logged in to your Government Gateway account before or recently. If you're having issues verifying (e.g. passport/driver’s licence checks aren’t working), the following options are available:
Verify using a Payslip/P60 & credit reference questions
Contact HMRC for help
Skip the HMRC connection
1. Verify using a Payslip/P60 & credit reference questions
Note: HMRC appears to be deprecating this option, so this may not be available to you. If you don't see the screens below, you'll need to contact HMRC for help or skip the HMRC connection.
Select Options: On the ID verification options screen, select ‘Payslip or P60’ and ‘Credit reference questions’ as your methods. You will be asked to select between Payslip or P60 to continue. Click on Continue.
2. Provide Consent: To answer the required credit reference questions HMRC will ask for consent to share your information with a credit reference agency. This will not affect your credit score. Select Yes and Continue.
3. Confirm your Address: Once done, select Continue.
4. Answer Credit Reference Questions: These questions will differ from person to person, but should be relatively straightforward (e.g. when the last time you took out a new credit card). You can check the answers to these questions by referring to your own records, accounts or emails.
5. Enter Payslip / P60 information: You will now be asked to enter some information from various fields on a Payslip or P60. It doesn’t need to be the most recent version, typically just one within the last year. The information requested may include the amount of NI contributions or PAYE (income) tax you paid. This information can be found in the ‘Deductions’ section on your payslip.
6. Success: Provided the information you provided matches HMRC’s records, you will now see confirmation that your identity has been confirmed. You will now be logged in to your Government Gateway account
2. Contact HMRC for help
Use the ‘Get help’ or ‘Is there anything wrong with this page’ link on the ID verification page to be put in contact with the correct team
3. Skip the HMRC connection
If you're still having trouble or it's taking too long, you can skip the HMRC step and connect any other available sources - like banking or payroll - before submitting your verification. Once submitted, your verifier will review the information and contact you if anything further is needed.