Register for the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS)
Proving your identity
You鈥檒l need to prove your identity before you can get any payment from the scheme.聽
After you鈥檝e registered, a caseworker will contact you by email and tell you what you need to do next. They will tell you how to send any ID documents.
If you have a solicitor聽
Your solicitor can complete the ID checks for you.聽
What your solicitor needs to do聽聽
They鈥檒l verify your identity and current address. You鈥檒l need to provide your solicitor with your acceptable ID documents. They鈥檒l then need to give scanned copies of these documents to your caseworker.聽聽
Your solicitor will then send your caseworker a legal declaration confirming they鈥檝e verified your identity.聽
If you do not have a solicitor
If you do not have a solicitor yet, or do not want one, you can use a countersignatory to confirm your identity and address.聽
Who your countersignatory can be聽
Your countersignatory must:聽聽
- have known you for at least 2 years聽聽
- be able to identify you, for example they鈥檙e a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)聽聽
- be 鈥榓 person of good standing in their community鈥 or work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession
Your countersignatory cannot be:聽聽
- related to you by birth or marriage聽聽聽
- in a relationship with you
- someone who lives at the same address as you聽聽聽
Recognised professions for countersignatories聽聽
A countersignatory must be in one of the following professions:
- 补肠肠辞耻苍迟补苍迟听听
- airline pilot聽聽
- articled clerk of a limited company聽聽
- assurance agent of recognised company聽聽
- bank or building society official聽聽
- 产补谤谤颈蝉迟别谤听听
- 肠丑颈谤辞辫辞诲颈蝉迟听听
- commissioner for oaths聽聽
- councillor, for example local or county聽聽
- civil servant (permanent)聽聽
- 诲别苍迟颈蝉迟听听
- director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company聽聽
- engineer with professional qualifications聽聽
- financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker聽聽
- fire service official聽聽
- funeral director聽聽
- insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company聽聽
- 箩辞耻谤苍补濒颈蝉迟听听
- Justice of the Peace聽聽
- legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs)聽聽
- licensee of a public house聽聽
- local government officer聽聽
- manager or personnel officer of a limited company聽聽
- member, associate or fellow of a professional body聽聽
- Member of Parliament聽聽
- Merchant Navy officer聽聽
- minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science)聽聽
- nurse (RGN or RMN)聽聽
- officer of the armed services聽聽
- 辞辫迟颈肠颈补苍听听
- paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals)聽聽
- person with honours, for example an OBE or MBE聽聽
- 辫丑补谤尘补肠颈蝉迟听听
- photographer (professional)聽聽
- police officer聽聽
- president or secretary of a recognised organisation聽聽
- Salvation Army officer聽聽
- social worker聽聽
- 蝉辞濒颈肠颈迟辞谤听听
- 蝉耻谤惫别测辞谤听听
- teacher or lecturer聽聽
- trade union officer聽聽
- travel agent (qualified)聽聽
- valuer or auctioneer (fellow or associate members of the incorporated society)聽聽
- Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers聽聽
If your countersignatory does not meet these requirements, your application could be delayed or rejected.聽聽
What you need to do聽
You鈥檒l need to send your 3 ID documents to your caseworker. They must be scanned copies of the original documents.聽聽聽
You鈥檒l also need to send a verification statement signed by your countersignatory.
This should be a document written by your countersignatory which includes the statement 鈥淚 certify that this is a true likeness of [applicant鈥檚 title and full name]鈥.
The document should also include the date and their:
- full name
- profession
- signature
- contact details
Your caseworker will contact them to confirm that they meet the criteria of a countersignatory. They must be available to respond quickly when contacted, or your application could be delayed or rejected.
List of acceptable ID documents聽聽
You need to provide 3 forms of ID documents. They must all be different.聽
You should provide one of the following, a:聽
- current valid passport for any country
- current biometric residence permit for the UK
- current full or provisional photo card driving licence from the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands
- birth certificate from the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands (issued within 12 months of birth)
You鈥檒l also need 2 of the following:聽
- current full or provisional photo card driving licence from any country outside the UK, excluding Isle of Man and Channel Islands聽
- current full or provisional paper driving licence from the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands only (issued before 1998)聽聽聽
- birth certificate from the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands (issued within 12 months of birth)聽
- marriage certificate - UK and Channel Islands only聽聽
- civil partnership certificate - UK and Channel Islands only聽聽
- mortgage statement - UK only (issued in the last 3 months)聽
- financial statement, for example a pension or endowment - UK only (issued in the last 12 months)聽
- a statement from central or local government showing you are entitled to benefits
- bank or building society account opening confirmation letter - this must be a paper copy聽聽
- original utility bill - this must be a paper copy聽
- benefit statement - UK only (issued in the last 3 months)聽
- P45 or P60 statement聽聽
- Council Tax bill from UK or Channel Islands only (issued in the last 3 months) - this must be a paper copy
Your documents will not be accepted if they鈥檙e:
- 产濒耻谤谤别诲听听
- 颈濒濒别驳颈产濒别听听
- 辞耻迟-辞蹿-诲补迟别听
- 颈苍肠辞尘辫濒别迟别听
This will cause delays to your application.
If you need help
Contact the Department for Business and Trade for support with registering for the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS).
The Department for Business and Trade hcrsregistration@businessandtrade.gov.uk