Ninety-year-old calls for 'acceptable ID' clarity

A nonagenarian who no longer owns a passport or a driving licence is calling for greater clarity about what constitutes legal identification.

Shirley Dorsett, from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, was told her bus pass was not acceptable as ID to renew her position as director of the building where she lives.

Property management company Foster Kemp said that "identity checks matter" in order to comply with Companies House requirements.

Dorsett, 90, said she was "frustrated" at the decision and that not owning the documents at her age made her feel "stateless, without any influence".

"When you get to a certain age, you don't drive and you don't have a passport," she said.

"I'm sure they [would] get very upset if I got behind a wheel - and I gave up my passport because I can't face those airports."

Mark Hanna, chief executive of Age UK Hertfordshire, agreed that identification requirements were often designed around documents that older people either no longer needed, could not easily renew - or found costly to obtain.

"Someone should not find it harder to access a service, prove who they are or exercise their rights simply because the forms of identification they have are not on an organisation's preferred list," he said.

Hanna said he would support a more "flexible and common sense approach", such as the consideration of "recognised alternatives, including concessionary bus passes and other official documents", where appropriate.

Richard Foster, director of Foster Kemp, said they "rely on volunteer directors, some of whom are elderly".

He explained that "difficulties for some directors with photo ID and accessing digital services can cause issues when trying to comply with Company House requirements".

"Without accessible alternatives and practical support, we risk losing experienced volunteers who help care for their homes and communities," he added.

Companies House said it would not comment on individual businesses or directors, but said it had introduced a new identity verification process to help deter those wishing to use companies for illegal purposes.

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