Change Name After Marriage

Hi all Hoping someone can help! My wife wants to check her historic NI record but doesn't have an online account. We tried to sign up for an account and the sign up process only works using her maiden name, and then when we get to the ID verification it fails because all her ID is in her new married name. As a result we can't get into the online account. The website says change your name via the online account, but we can't get into it. The phone line sends us to the online account. The phone line says you can't change the name until after you're married. We've also written to HMRC with copies of marriage certificate, driving licence and council tax bill. No idea what to do! Any help greatly appreciated, even if we call and wait for hours I don't mind, but all the numbers we call just say we can't help, send us online and hang up! I'm happy to even go and visit a HMRC office somewhere in our region, anything. Thanks

Hi Michael,

I am sorry to hear about your attempts to update your wife’s marriage/name details.
You can call the National Insurance Helpline on 03002003500 opening times 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
When promoted to state what your call is about, I suggest you say National Insurance each time this is asked,
this will then take you through to a National Insurance adviser who can update the details over the telephone,
however, the conversation will have to be with your wife.

Thank you.




 

Hi Thank you for the advice. We've called the NI Helpline 4 times now (waiting around 1 hour on hold each time). We called on different days at different times, from different phones. None of the HMRC staff can hear us. Their lines keep breaking up. We've tested our phones by calling other people from the same place and it is crystal clear. Please can you advise what we can do? We're happy to visit HMRC in person if that is an option, or do it via post. Like I said earlier, we've already written to HMRC with copies of marriage certificate, driving licence and council tax bill - that was on 21 March and we've had no acknowledgement. We wrote to PT Operations North East England HM Revenue and Customs BX9 1AN United Kingdom My wife is disabled so post would be the preferred way to do this. Is there any way you can ask someone from HMRC to call us? Thank you

Hi Michael,

I am sorry that you have not been successful in getting through to the National Insurance Helpline.
We are unable to arrange a call back to you from a Customer Forum enquiry.
You have advised us that you have written in for you wife’s personal details to be updated, this will currently be with our Individual Caseworker awaiting process.
The current timescales for correspondence to be dealt with in Individual Caseworker is 33 weeks, and today they are working on correspondence received on
9 September 2022.
If you are unable to wait for the correspondence to be worked, you will have to call the National Insurance Helpline.

Thank you.

Hi HMRC Admin 20 Thank you for your help to date with my query. It has now been 33 weeks since I sent my letter but I haven't had a reply yet. Please can you confirm the correspondence dates the team are working on right now? Many thanks 

Hi Michael,
I have checked today, and the Timescale for Individual Caseworker is now 40 weeks which mean they are today working on correspondence received on 29 January 2023.
I would recommend that you call the National Insurance Helpline on 03002003500, the lines are now quieter than earlier in the tax year and you will then be advised where your letter is in the queue.
Thank you.
 

Dear HMRC Admin 20 Thank you for your help so far with this matter. I originally sent the letter on 21 March 2023, so it has now been a year since I sent the letter. Please can you confirm when I may receive a reply? Thank you Michael

Hi Michael,
I have checked the timescale for our Individual Caseworker department which shows they are currently working on correspondence dated 9 July 2023. As the letter was sent on 21 March 2023 I would have expected it to have been dealt with by now. 
I would advise your wife to call the National Insurance helpline on 0300 200 3500 to enable them to look into this further.
Thank you.
 

Hi HMRC Admin 21 Please can you tell me how I raise a complaint regarding this post/thread? I find it unsatisfactory that I have waited a year for my letter to be replied to, and it now appears will never be replied to. I want to know at least if they did receive my letter and what has been done about it. I can't imagine that the letter did not get to HMRC as it was sent correctly via Royal Mail. Unfortunately I did not track the letter. The advice from HMRC in this thread is repeatedly to phone HMRC, but I have set out the reasons why this has not been possible in my earlier posts. It feels like HMRC has not read my earlier posts properly otherwise they would not advise to phone. Thank you

Hi,
Please see the complaints options on how to make a complaint:
Complain about HMRC
If you need extra support with your complaint please see the section:
"Tell HMRC when you complain if you need extra support" with your compliant because of a health condition or your personal circumstances.
If you need someone to complain on your behalf please see the secion:
"You can ask someone else to complain for you". You’ll need to authorise them to deal with HMRC on your behalf before they can make a complaint for you.
If you are unable to complain online via the personal tax account, please see the section on:
“Complain by phone or post” we can also investigate the letter being received for the change of name after marriage as all the necessary security information will be obtained through the complaints process.
Thank you.