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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 400% 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 2.2 AA standard.

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

  • The instructions for currency fields throughout the service suggests that pound signs can be included but service does not allow that.
  • 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. Some of the errors may be missed by screen-reader users as they are nested. The same problem occurs for nested options for payslips, P60s or country of origin for driving licences. It may be hard to correct errors and identify the page structure for screen-reader users.
  • The name field for passport and driving licence details do not offer users the option to populate the fields from data that is already saved in their browser.
  • When users return to the previous page, their previously entered date of birth answers are removed, so they need to answer questions again.
  • Users are not able to check their answers before trying to submit the application.
  • When users switch to Welsh on the ‘We are processing your details’ page, the loading symbol is not translated for screen-reader users.

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 2.2 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

The hint text is not matching currency input validation. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions This will be fixed by 30 November 2024.

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 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and relationships, 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value and 3.3.3 Error suggestion. This will be fixed by 30 November 2024.

Name field for passport and driving licence details are missing autocomplete attributes which means users will be unable to use the browser’s saved data to populate the name field easily. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose. This will be fixed by 30 November 2024.

Returning to previous pages causes users to answer the date of birth fields again. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.7 Redundant Entry This will be fixed by 30 November 2024.

Users are not provided the opportunity to review any errors. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.4 Error prevention This will be fixed by 30 November 2024.

Welsh version of the service does not provide Welsh translations for loading spinner. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.1.2 Language of parts This will be fixed by 30 November 2024.

How we tested this service

The service was last tested on 8 December 2023 and was checked for compliance with WCAG 2.2 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 15 May 2024.

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