Pre and post employment checks: NHSScotland PIN policy

Appendix 2

Annex A: List of Acceptable Documentation for Verification of Identity

Documents marked with * must be dated within the last 3 months (unless there is a good reason for it not to be - e.g. clear evidence that the person was not living in the UK for three months or more). These documents must contain the name and address of the applicant.

Documents marked with ** must be dated within the last 12 months.

Acceptable photographic personal identification:

• UK (Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Irish) passport or EU/other nationalities passport.
• Passports of non-EU nationals, containing UK stamps, a visa or a UK residence permit showing the immigration status of the holder in the UK.
• UK full or provisional photo-card driving licence (must include paper counterpart) or an EU/other nationalities full photo-card driving licence (providing that the person checking is confident that non-UK photo-card driving licence are bona fide).
• ID cards carrying the PASS accreditation logo (UK) for example a UK Citizen ID card. This card can be applied for by residents of the UK and is verifiable with similar security marks to passports and driving licences.
• An EU national ID card and/or other valid documentation relating to immigration status and permission to work - a current Biometric Resident Permit (formerly the Identity Card for Foreign Nationals) is acceptable.
• A HM forces photo-ID card is acceptable but employers should bear in mind that such cards must be surrendered upon leaving the forces so only those individuals currently in the forces will hold such a card.

Acceptable documents for confirmation of address include:

• Utility bill (gas, water, electricity or phone), or a certificate from a utility supplier confirming the arrangement to pay for the services on pre-payment terms at a fixed address. More than one utility bill may be accepted if these are from two different suppliers and utility bills in joint names are also permissible.*
• Local authority tax bill (i.e. council tax).**
• UK full or provisional photo-card driving licence (must include paper counterpart); or a full old-style paper driving licence (if not already presented as a personal ID document). Old style provisional driving licences are not acceptable.
• Most recent HM Revenue & Customs tax notification (i.e. tax assessment, statement of account, notice of coding). A P45 or P60 is not acceptable.**
• Financial statement (e.g. bank, building society, credit card or credit union statement) containing current address.*
• Mortgage statement from a recognised lender.**
• Local council rent card or tenancy agreement.*
• Benefit statement, book or card; or original notification letter from Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) confirming the rights to benefit (e.g. child allowance, pension).**
• Confirmation from an electoral register search that a person of that name lives at the claimed address.*

Acceptable non-photographic proof of personal identification documents:

• Full birth certificate (UK & Channel Islands) issued at the time of birth, including those issued by UK authorities overseas, such as Embassies, High Commissions and HM Forces.
• Full birth certificate (UK & Channel Islands) issued after the time of birth by the General Register Office/relevant authority, for example, Registrars.
• UK full old-style paper driving licence. Old-style provisional driving licences are not acceptable.
• Residence permit issued by the Home Office to EU nationals on inspection of own-country passport.
• Adoption certificate.
• Marriage/civil partnership certificate.
• Divorce/annulment or civil partnership dissolution papers.
• Deed poll certificate.
• Police registration document.
• Certification of employment in HM Forces.
• Benefit statement, book or card, original notification letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) confirming legal right to benefit (e.g. child allowance, pension).**
• Most recent tax notification from HM Revenue and Customs (i.e. tax assessment, statement of account, notice of coding, P45 or P60 document).**
• UK firearms certificate.
• Grant letter or student loan agreement from a Local Education Authority.

When appointing someone who has recently left school or further education, in addition to photographic personal identification, employers should ask for at least one of the listed documents below as sufficient proof of their identity:

• Full birth certificate (UK & Channel Islands) issued at the time of birth, including those issued by UK authorities overseas, such as Embassies, High Commissions and HM Forces.
• Full birth certificate (UK & Channel Islands) issued after the time of birth by the General Register Office/relevant authority, for example, Registrars.
• National Insurance (NI) number card or proof of issue of an NI number.
• A letter from their Head Teacher or College Principal can be requested, verifying their name and any other relevant information, for example, address or date of birth.

If the applicant has changed their name recently & cannot provide ID documents in their own name, employers must only accept identity documents in the applicant's previous name where they are able to provide documentary evidence of the recent name change because of:

• Marriage/civil partnership (i.e. marriage/civil partnership certificate).
• Divorce/civil partnership dissolution (i.e. decree absolute/civil partnership dissolution certificate).
• Deed poll (i.e. deed poll certificate).

Appendix 2

Annex B: Good Practice Guidance on Checking the Validity of Documentation

General

• Check to ensure that documents are genuine and have not been tampered with.
• Check to ensure that the documents belong to the individual.
• Check that any photographs, where available, are consistent with the appearance of the individual.
• Check the biographical details (i.e. name, and, where available, date of birth) are consistent across documents.
• In the case of date of birth details, check that these correspond with the appearance of the individual.
• If the individual produces two documents which have different names, ask for a further document to explain the reason for this (e.g. a marriage certificate, divorce decree absolute, deed poll document or statutory declaration).

Specific Checks

Passports (UK or overseas)

• Check the general quality and condition. Look out for page substitution, incorrect numbering of pages, damage to the cover or spine of the document, or poor paper or print quality.
• Check that print is clear and even - print processes are deliberately complex on genuine documents.
• Check wording, issue and expiry dates - spelling mistakes are common in forged or counterfeit documents, especially on stamps and visas. Forgers often only alter the expiry date so ensure this corresponds with the issue date.
• Check for damage - accidental damage is often used to conceal tampering so treat any excessive damage with caution.
• Check photographs for size, signs of damage or for excessive glue - this could indicate photo substitution. An excessively large photograph may be hiding another photograph underneath. There should also be an embossed strip embedded into the laminate, which will catch a portion of the photograph.
• Check that watermarks can be clearly seen when holding the document up to the light.
• Check the name of the country of origin. Unofficial travel documents in the name of non-existent countries, or countries no longer known by their original name, are in circulation.

Visas

• Check for signs of alteration to the passport number or personal and issue details. Make sure details correspond with information in the passport.
• Check that security features, such as watermarks, are intact.
• Check image on the visa for signs of substitution.
• Check wording for evidence of alteration or spelling mistakes.

Biometric Residence Permits

• Check the permit number on the front of the card in the top right corner - it should start with two letters followed by seven numbers. The permit number should not be raised; it should feel smooth when you run your fingers across it.
• Photographs will always be in greyscale.
• Check the security features at the back of the permit. This should be a raised design incorporating the four national flowers of the UK, which can be seen clearly by shining a light across the card.
• The permit should be the size of a credit card; it will feel slightly thicker than a driver's licence and will have a distinctive sound when flicked.
• If you have any concerns about the validity of a biometric residence permit, or to access the online checking service, contact UKBA.

Photo-card driving licences

• Examine the licence carefully, looking for any damage or adjustments.
• Ensure that the printed details have not been changed.
• Check that watermarks and security features are intact.
• Photographs will always be in greyscale.
• Check that the paper counterpart document is printed on both sides, and that details correspond with those on the photo-card, and compare the signature.
• Ensure the valid-to date is the day before the owner's 70th birthday (if the owner is over 70 this does not apply).

UK CitizenCard photo-card

• Check the card has the PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) hologram. This signifies that the card is genuine and is recognised as valid ID under the law.
• Every CitizenCard displays UV (ultraviolet) markings in the form of two '100% proof' logos.

Birth certificates

• Check the quality of paper used; genuine certificates use a high grade.
• When the document is held up to the light there should be a visible watermark.
• Any signs of smoothness on the surface might indicate that original text has been washed or rubbed away.
• There should be no signs of tampering, changes using liquid paper, overwriting or spelling mistakes.
• Ensure that the date of birth and registration/issue dates are provided.

Other supporting verification of identify documentation

• Check that documents have not been printed off from online bills or statements - most companies will provide hard copies to customers on request.
• Check that the document is on original quality letterhead paper. Pay particular attention to the company logo, as logos lose their quality when photocopied or scanned.
• Check for even folds on original documents - the vast majority of bills are machine folded before being sent to customers.

Qualifications

• Contact the awarding body directly, where possible, to confirm the applicant's attendance, course details and grade awarded.
• Where individuals have obtained qualifications from institutions outwith the UK, check that this qualification exists, that it is equivalent to the stated UK qualification and that the prospective employee does, in fact, hold the qualification. These checks should be carried out directly with the awarding institution where possible. Where this is not possible, you should seek advice from the relevant country's UK Embassy, Consulate or High Commission. The National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC) provides a service whereby such qualifications can be compared to the UK's qualification frameworks.

References

• Check that the organisation exists (using the phone book, internet or business directories).
• Phone or email the HR department to verify that employment dates and information are correct.
• All hard copy references should be on headed company paper (or include the referee's company stamp where a standardised form is used) or, where emailed, should be from an authenticated company email address.