I’m trying to login to MY account on the Gov.UK website. I need some information about MY state pension. However, I am hampered at the end stage by bureaucratic nonsense. I have entered my full name and address, date of birth and National Insurance number. I have also entered the ‘one-time’ password from the Authenticator app on my phone. You would assume that all that information would be sufficient. But that’s not the case. They need more information, to prove who I am! This is the next screen that appears. Problem! 1. I do not have a ‘valid UK passport’ as I’m am not going abroad at the moment, and really have no intention of going in the near future. 2. Why would I need a Northern Ireland driving licence?

So it seems, from this that I am ‘persona non-grata’. Why, as a lifelong citizen of this so called ‘free country’ do I need a passport to live here. Not a ‘happy chappie’ at the moment.