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Accessibility statement for Identity Verification service

This accessibility statement explains how accessible this service is, what to do if you have difficulty using it, and how to report accessibility problems with the service.

This service is part of the wider GOV.UK website. There is a separate accessibility statement for the main GOV.UK website.

This page only contains information about the Identity Verification service, available at https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/identity-verification.

Using this service

This service allows you to confirm your identity online, which then gives you access to Government Gateway services. It confirms the link between a person’s credentials and their identity by asking a set of questions, helping us to be sure that the person using the service is who they claim to be.

This service is run by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this service. This means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • get from the start of the service to the end using just a keyboard
  • get from the start of the service to the end using speech recognition software
  • listen to the service using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We have also made the text in the service as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this service is

This service is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.

Some people may find parts of this service difficult to use:

  • On all currency inputs, screen-reader users will not be aware that the value needs to be entered in pounds (£). The error messages for these pages do not clearly describe the problem that needs to be resolved.
  • On ‘choose 2 items we can ask you about’ page error, ‘select 2 items we can ask you about’ appears when the user has selected 2 options. Screen-reader users cannot correctly identify the error messages and the content appearing on choosing options.
  • Screen-reader users cannot correctly identify the information presented by the images.
  • The list of addresses are mixed and not displayed in the correct order. Users may find it difficult to get the correct information.
  • On the ‘when did you last open a personal current account?’ and ‘when did you last take out or renew a personal mobile phone contract?’ pages, the error messages are missing.
  • Screen-reader users are not notified when new content appears after selecting ‘no’ on the ‘we cannot confirm who you are’ page.
  • Screen-reader users may not be able to identify the question for the ‘yes, try again’ and ‘no’ button group.
  • The date input error messages on ‘enter your UK photocard driving licence details’ page are not giving users the correct instructions.
  • The error prefix is not translated for Welsh speaking users, which could prevent them from correctly identifying text as an error. Additionally, assistive technology may not pronounce it correctly.
  • The date of birth fields do not offer users the option to populate the answer from the data that is saved in their browser.
  • When users enter an invalid postcode, the error message suggests they have not entered anything. This can mislead them about what needs to be corrected.
  • The labels for radio options are not translated for Welsh speaking users. Additionally, assistive technology may not pronounce it correctly on the ‘when did you last open a personal current account?’ and the ‘when did you last take out or renew a personal mobile phone contract?’ pages.
  • The labels on the ‘enter the pensions and benefits information from your tax return’ page are not clear and sufficiently descriptive. This may prevent users from submitting the correct information.
  • On the Welsh version, the alt text for the loading image is in English but not marked up as English text for screen readers. This means that assistive technology may not pronounce it correctly.

What to do if you have difficulty using this service

You can contact HMRC for extra support if you need help with filling in forms or getting a different format, like large print, audio recording or Braille.

Reporting accessibility problems with this service

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this service. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, report the accessibility problem.

If you are not happy with our response

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the 'accessibility regulations'). If you are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) or the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) if you live in Northern Ireland.

Contacting us by phone or getting a visit from us in person

We provide a text relay service if you are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

We can provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, or you can arrange a visit from an HMRC advisor to help you complete the service.

Find out how to get extra support from HMRC.

Technical information about this service’s accessibility

HMRC is committed to making this service accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This service is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non‐accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non‐compliance with the accessibility regulations

On all currency input, the pound symbol is hidden for assistive technology and error instructions are ambiguous and hard to identify what exactly needs correcting. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and relationships and 3.3.3 Error suggestion. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

On ‘choose 2 items we can ask you about’ page nested content and error messages are not associated with form elements and error instructions are ambiguous and hard to identify what exactly needs correcting. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and relationships and 3.3.3 Error suggestion. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Missing text alternative of the information on the message. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 Non-text content. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Incorrect implementation of address lookup leads to incorrect displaying of addresses. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.2 Meaningful sequence. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Missing error messages on radio group on ‘when did you last open a personal current account?’ and ‘when did you last take out or renew a personal mobile phone contract?’ pages. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.1 Error identification. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

New revealed content is not communicated to screen-reader users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and relationships. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Question for button group does not use semantic markup to show relationship to buttons. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and relationships. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Incorrect error messages appear on date inputs for driving licence. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.1 Error identification. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Missing Welsh translations for ‘error:’ prefix. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.1.2 Language of parts. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Date of birth fields are missing autocomplete attributes which may mean the user will be unable to use the browser’s saved data to populate these fields easily. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 Identify input purpose. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Incorrect error message presented to users when they submit invalid postcodes. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.3 Error suggestion. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Missing translations and incorrect implementation for English copy of radio labels. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.1.2 Language of parts. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Labels on ‘enter the pensions and benefits information from your tax return’ page are not describing information that users need to provide. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.6 Headings and labels. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

Missing Welsh translations for loading image alt text. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.1.2 Language of parts. This will be fixed by 31 October 2023.

How we tested this service

The service was last tested on 19 August 2022 and was checked for compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA.

The service was built using parts that were tested by the Digital Accessibility Centre. The full service was tested by HMRC and included disabled users.

This page was prepared on 17 September 2020. It was last updated on 5 September 2023.

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