Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of HMRC online services for older people with limited forms of ID.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Users may gain access to HMRC online services by signing up for a Government Gateway account.
A new Government Gateway account can be created with only an email address with no documentation required. The customer is provided with a unique username (Government Gateway ID) and is asked to create a password.
This account will not have identity verification associated to it, so can only be used to access Government services which do not require identity proofing.
Where a customer needs to access services requiring identity checking, additional Identity Verification steps are provided by Government Gateway, based on the identity information the customer has available to them.
It is recognised that this can be difficult for some customers, particularly those with limited digital skills or limited documented identity sources.
To prove their identity users will need their National Insurance number or postcode and can use any 2 of the following:
• a valid UK passport
• a UK photocard driving licence issued by the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland)
• details from a Self Assessment tax return if one was made
• information held on their credit record if they have one
From Spring 2025 onwards, HMRC will begin to migrate new and existing Government Gateway customers to GOV.UK One Login. This is the Government’s new strategic authentication and identity checking system, operated by the Government Digital Service in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which is making it easier and faster for users to prove and reuse their identity to access the government services they need.
Improving accessibility is at the heart of GOV.UK One Login; it offers multiple ways for people to prove who they are, including an in-person option, and a customer support centre to help users with lower digital skills.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential (a) impact of green levies on electricity bills on electric vehicle drivers who charge their vehicles at home and (b) merits of imposing green levies on gas only.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government keeps all taxes, including those levied through energy bills, under review.