Self employed grant update

New government gateway ID process for SEISS

HMRC has updated the process for obtaining a government gateway ID for the Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). ICAEW’s Tax Faculty clarifies what is needed.

In the week where HMRC starts contacting taxpayers about their eligibility for support under SEISS, it has changed the process by which IDs to access the government gateway are created to avoid delays.

Taxpayers who already have a government gateway ID which gives access to HMRC’s self assessment services will be able to use that ID when applying for their SEISS grant.

Those who do not have a government gateway ID are now prompted to create one when they use the eligibility checker, rather than at the application stage as was originally the plan.

When creating an ID through the SEISS service, the taxpayer is asked to verify their identity by providing details from their driving licence photocard or their UK passport. Taxpayers without either of these documents will be asked for a piece of financial information, for example, the date they set up a mobile phone contract.

When a government gateway ID is created as part of the SEISS service (eligibility checker or application stage) there is no requirement for an authentication code (PIN) to be sent in the post.

Taxpayers who need to create a government gateway ID to claim an SEISS grant are advised to do so through the SEISS service, rather than through any other route on gov.uk, to ensure the correct type of ID is set up and to avoid the need for an authentication code in the post.