Gender question in new starter forms
Dear HM Revenue and Customs,
One of the questions in your updated new starter checklist for PAYE (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/starter-chec...), both on the web and in PDF form (question 3 in the latter case), contains the wording "What is your sex?", with an explanatory note about this being specified in your birth or gender recognition certificate.
This is a change from the previous versions of the form, available only in PDF format prior to October 2022, where this question 3 used the wording "Are you male or female?".
Please provide copies of all internal correspondence surrounding this change in wording. If this is not possible, all correspondence relating to the development of the latest new starter checklist and web tool will suffice.
Many thanks in advance for your consideration of this request.
Yours faithfully,
eta
Our ref: FOI2023/23756
Dear Eta,
Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement
Thank you for your communication of 7 April.
We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.
We will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either comply
with our obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we think itʼs
an enquiry that we donʼt need to address under the terms of the Act, let
you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it on to a
more appropriate part of the Department for answer.
While we aim to respond to all freedom of information requests within 20
working days, if for some reason this timescale cannot be complied with,
we will, where possible, write to you explaining the reason for the delay
and provide an estimated time for response.
Yours sincerely
HMRC Freedom of Information Team
Dear Eta,
We are writing in response to your request for information, received 7
April.
Yours sincerely,
HMRC Freedom of Information Team
Dear HMRC,
I would like to request an internal review of this FOIA response, as I believe you have made a mistake.
You state that my request is invalid under section 8(1)(b), since a 'real name' has not been provided. This is patently false; "eta" *is* my real name, and is the name I most commonly go by in everyday life and employment (which I document publicly online: https://eta.st/nomenclature/), so you have made an incorrect assumption.
You make reference to guidance from the ICO about how this requirement in section 8(1)(b) should be interpreted. However, this guidance makes it clear that names such as mine are perfectly acceptable, in its examples about mononyms and accepting names that the requester is commonly known by (both of which are true in my case). The guidance also notes that carrying out checks on requesters' identities, especially when not relevant to the request being made, should be avoided.
Therefore, I ask that you reconsider your decision and process the request under the name initially provided (if you require a title, you may refer to me as "Ms eta").
If you insist on rejecting the request even though I believe you have no grounds to, please instead consider it resubmitted under the name "eta Heese"; I do actually want the information I asked for, and would rather not get bogged down in pointless naming discussion.
Yours sincerely,
eta
Our ref: IR2023/30867
Dear Eta Heese,
Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement
Thank you for your communication of 10 May.
We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.
We will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either comply
with our obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we think it's
an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the Act, let
you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it on to a
more appropriate part of the Department for answer.
While we aim to respond to all freedom of information requests within 20
working days, if for some reason this timescale cannot be complied with,
we will, where possible, write to you explaining the reason for the delay
and provide an estimated time for response.
Yours sincerely
HMRC Freedom of Information Team
Our ref: FOI2023/31225
Dear Eta Heese,
Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement
Thank you for your communication of 10 May.
We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.
We will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either comply
with our obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we think it's
an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the Act, let
you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it on to a
more appropriate part of the Department for answer.
While we aim to respond to all freedom of information requests within 20
working days, if for some reason this timescale cannot be complied with,
we will, where possible, write to you explaining the reason for the delay
and provide an estimated time for response.
Yours sincerely
HMRC Freedom of Information Team
Dear Eta Heese,
We are writing in response to your request for information, received 10
May.
Yours sincerely,
HMRC Freedom of Information Team
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