HMRC challenged over refusal to recognise NI driving licence

The DUP MP for North Antrim was responding to numerous complaints that access to the government’s Self Employed Income Support scheme was being delayed by HMRC’s refusal to accept a Northern Ireland driving licence – or an Irish passport – as a valid form of identification.

“It just isn’t acceptable,” Mr Paisley said.

“The most obvious form of identity for anyone in Northern Ireland is their driving licence. Beyond that...a lot of people in Northern Ireland carry an Irish passport, and both of those documents are excluded from that [application] document.”

Mr Paisley said he is due to meet the minister responsible for HMRC on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

“We need to get this sorted and to get it sorted quickly,” he added.

Sinn Fein MLA Caoimhe Archibald has also called for HMRC to “resolve the problems with identity verification”.

She said: “Many self-employed people are struggling financially due to impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. They have had to wait a number of weeks for the scheme to open and this has now caused additional stress”.

A spokeswoman for HMRC said: “We want to reassure those in Northern Ireland that they will not be excluded from the scheme. Anyone can check their eligibility for the scheme using our eligibility checker, and if they meet the criteria, can apply.

“Anyone who has engaged with us online before, to file their return for example, should be able to use their existing credentials to claim online. Anyone going online with us for the first time can use the multiple choice questions option to attempt to verify their identity. If they are unable to verify they are still able to claim their grant using our telephone helplines.”