Verifying Your Identity

This page has been designed to help you understand why Slater Investments requests documents from you to verify your identity.

 What is money laundering?

Money laundering is the process which criminals use to turn money that from criminal activities (dirty money) into money which appears to have been legally acquired and which can be more easily invested and spent.  Providing proof of your identity helps prevent financial crime such as money laundering, terrorist financing and identity fraud.

 Why do I have to prove my identity?

Under the current regulations for the prevention of money laundering and financial crime, we are responsible for verifying the identity of all our applicants, otherwise known as ‘Customer Due Diligence’. We may also need to verify the identity of any controlling persons or beneficial owners of Companies/Partnerships/Trusts.

Slater Investments uses a system of electronic identification; the search is performed using the services of Experian, a Credit Reference Agency. Please note that this is not a credit search and will only record the fact that we have requested an identification check on you. If we are unable to verify your identity electronically, we will ask you to provide documents to prove your name and address.

Why have other financial institutions not asked me to prove my identity?

The regulators require all financial institutions to have systems and controls in place to guard against money laundering and financial crime. Each financial institution will have its own procedures in place to verify their customers’ identities.

What do I need to provide?

Slater Investments requires you to provide us with documentation to prove your personal identity i.e. your name and one to prove your address.  A list of documentation which is acceptable is shown on page 3.

What if I do not provide the requested documents as proof of my identity?

If we do not receive the documents from you that we need to verify your identity, we will not be able to open an account for you or freeze your Slater Investments account; in which case we will not accept your instructions to make a withdrawal or a subscription, or pay any money to you until we have been able to verify your identity.

What if I do not have the documents that you need?

Please contact us on 02072209460.

Identity Verification

We have put together a list of documents which we can accept for verification purposes.  We require you to supply one document from each section below.  Your current address must be the same as the document you are using as Proof of Address. 

Personal Identity Documents

• A full current UK or overseas passport (the passport must not have expired and must be signed)
• A full current UK driving licence
• Birth Certificate

Proof of Address Documents 

 Must be less than 3 months old.

• Current utility bill
• Current bank/building society/financial services statement
• Government Issued Document
• Driving Licence (cannot be used for both proving identify and address)

We recommend that you do not send original documents through the post using a non-secure service as we cannot accept liability for their safety.  You may want to take them to your local Post Office and ask for them to be sent as Royal Mail ‘Signed For’. We will return all documentation to you using a recorded delivery service.

We understand that you may not have the documents we have requested. In this situation, we may be able to accept some of the following as evidence of your personal identity or address:

Under 18’s only (JISA applications only)

• Current passport
• Birth certificate
• Adoption certificate
• Confirmation from your work/school/college/university of your full name, current address and details of your employment/student status.
• NHS Medical Card
• National Insurance Card
• Student identification/matriculation card – this must be valid for the current academic year.
• Student Loan Company/ Local Education Authority award notice
• HMRC notifications of Child Tax Credit or Child Benefit, where you are named as the child in respect of which the benefit is paid.

Residents in a nursing/residential home

If you live in a nursing home and are not able to provide any of the documents listed above, we can accept a letter from the manager or warden of the nursing/residential home confirming permanent residence there. This also applies if you are a Financial Adviser to a customer who is resident in a nursing/residential home.

Usually, this would support a piece of documentation from the ‘Personal identity evidence’ section such as an original notification letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) confirming the right to a state pension.

If you are providing documents on behalf of an incapacitated investor then an original Court Order appointing a deputy may also be accepted. This must be in respect of an appointment by the Court of Protection and name both the investor and the appointed deputy.

Armed Forces

We accept copies of documents certified as a true copy by a senior ranking officer. For details see ‘Document Certification’ below.

In addition, we can accept an original UK Armed Forces ID card, or an appropriately certified copy.

Other documents that we may consider:

Please contact us if you don’t have any of the documents listed above but can provide one of the following:

• Solicitor’s letter confirming house purchase or land registry confirmation.
• Police warrant card (with photo identification).
• Vehicle Registration document.
• Probate document.
• Letter confirming your National Insurance Number (The National Insurance Card can’t be accepted on its own).
• NHS Medical Card.
• Letter from a GP addressed to you, and on headed note paper.

Document Certification:

We cannot accept photocopied documents unless they are correctly certified by a professional person.  The following people can certify documents:

• a company director, officer or manager of a regulated financial services business.
• a solicitor/lawyer or notary public (who is a member of a recognised professional body).
• an actuary or accountant (who is a member of a recognised professional body).
• a tax advisor (who is a member of a recognised professional body).
• a member of the judiciary, a senior civil servant or a serving police or customs officer.
• an officer of an embassy, consulate or high commission of the country of issue of documentary evidence of identity.
• an individual that is qualified to undertake certification services under the authority of the Certification and International Trade Committee.

You should provide the certifier with both the original document and a photocopy.  The certifier must certify that he/she has seen the original documentation and must use the following wording when certifying any documents as true copies, ensuring the relevant statement is copied in its entirety:

• Proof of identity (photographic identity documents):

“Having seen the individual and the identification document at the same time, I certify that this is a true copy and the photograph bears a true likeness of [enter name].”

• Proof of address documents:

“Having seen the original and photocopy document at the same time, I certify that this is a true copy.”

 The Certifier should also include the following details should be included on the documents so that we are able to contact the certifier if we have any queries:

• Date
• First name(s) and surname
• Signature
• Company name
• Position
• Registration number (if a member of a recognised professional body)
• Contact details: address, telephone number or an email address at which they can be contacted.

How to contact us

 For further information, please contact us by:

Phone: +44 (0) 207 220 9460

Email: [email protected]

Post: Nicholas House, 3 Laurence Pountney Hill, London, EC4R 0EU

Do you need extra help?

 If you would like this information in another format (for example audio, large print, braille) please contact us (see ‘How to contact us’ above).