You will need documents to prove who you are and to access educational courses, employment, social benefits or to open a bank account.
The Care Leavers' Service (CLS) will help you to get the important documents or photo identification you need, such as a passport and birth certificate. The CLS will fund three forms of identification, most commonly this will be birth certificate, passport and driving licence. To request this funding or for more support, please speak to your Personal Adviser (PA).
It is your responsibility to look after and keep documents safe, the CLS will not repurchase documents if you lose them so you will need to fund any replacements. If you agree, the CLS can keep copies of your important documents safely on your record. Below is a list explaining some of the important documents you might need.
You also have a right to see the information we hold about you, including the records written about you when you were in care. This is called a Subject Access Request. If you would like to make a Subject Access Request, your PA will help you complete the necessary forms. Our expectation is that before you turn 18 the Looked After Children's teams will have provided you with a later life letter that explains your care journey.
Page contents
- National insurance (N.I) number
- Passport
- Provisional driving licence
- Birth certificate
- British citizenship
- Biometric residence permit
- Voting in UK Elections
National insurance (N.I) number
At 15 years and 9 months, your social worker should apply for your national insurance number (N.I Number). Your PA will ensure that you have this. You need this number, if you wish to work, so you must keep it safe. For young people seeking asylum you will be eligible for a National Insurance number once your status is determined or once you've received eligible status. The confirmation to remain in the UK will be printed on the back of your Biometric Residence Card. The gov.uk website has more information about your national insurance number.
Passport
Your PA will support you with an application for your first passport, and the CLS will cover the cost of applying for and purchasing this. There is an expectation that young people under 18 years old would have a passport before transferring to the CLS. Your passport is your main source of I.D. and can be used to open a bank account, or travel. If you lose this, you will have to fund a new one and they are expensive, so please keep it in a safe place! You can find out more information and apply for a passport on the GOV.uk website.
Provisional driving licence
This provides you with a form of photo I.D., like a passport. If you want to learn to drive, you will need a driving licence. Please remember that if you move address, you must update the DVLA! You can find more information and apply for your provisional driving licence on the GOV.uk website.
Birth certificate
If you do not have a birth certificate, your PA can support you to apply for one. This can be used, alongside photo I.D. to open a bank account. You may also need it if you intend to get married. More information about birth certificates can be found on the GOV.uk website.
British citizenship
This gives you the right to live and work in the UK permanently. You need British Citizenship before you can apply for a UK passport. If you are entitled to apply for British citizenship, your PA will support you to do this. More information about British citizenship can be found on the GOV.uk website.
Biometric residence permit (often called a biometric card)
If you are an unaccompanied asylum-seeking young person, you will not be able to apply for a passport, but can apply for a biometric residence permit which will provide you with a source of I.D. The CLS will pay for you to apply for this. The GOV.uk website has more information about biometric residence permits.
Voting in UK Elections
Voting gives you the power to decide how the UK is run. The Members of Parliament (MPs) you help to elect will be making decisions on issues that you care about, including National Health Service (NHS), Housing, Education and the Environment.
By voting in the election you can support a candidate who will represent your views in parliament and local government and can influence the policy issues you care about. An election is also your chance to speak out if you are not happy about the way the country is being run.
It is important you register to vote, as this this means you go onto the electoral register and will be able to vote in elections and referendums. Registering to vote takes around 5 minutes. You'll need your National Insurance number (but you can still register if you do not have one).
When it comes to voting in an election, you will need photo ID to be able to vote. If you do not have ID you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if:
- you do not have accepted photo ID
- you no longer look like the photo on your ID
- the name on your photo ID is different to your name on the electoral register
Your Voter Authority Certificate will be valid for as long as you still look like the photo on your certificate. You can continue to use it if you move to another area.
