I've verified my identity - so why am I still getting Companies House warning letters?

We've had a few ssalon owners contact us recently because they've completed their Companies House identity verification but are still receiving warning letters or can't find the personal code they need. Understandably, that's creating confusion because if you've already done the ID check, the natural reaction is to wonder whether something has gone wrong.

The important thing to understand is that verifying your identity and connecting that verification to your company roles are different parts of the process.

Once verified, Companies House gives you an 11-character personal code that belongs to you, not the company. If you're a director of several companies, you don't complete a new identity check for every business; you use the same personal code for the relevant appointments.

Directors and PSCs can also have different requirements and deadlines, so being verified doesn't necessarily mean every outstanding action has been completed.

If you've verified but can't find your code, don't automatically start the identity check again.

If you used GOV.UK One Login, sign into Companies House using the same email address and check Manage account.

If an accountant or other authorised agent completed the verification, the code should have been sent to the email address they provided. Check that email address first because if it was entered incorrectly, the agent may need to correct it. We believe Companies House can also resend the code in appropriate circumstances we are currently monitoring the support that is available.

This is a very new process and we're seeing the practical teething problems that come with major changes to Companies House systems. The important thing is not to ignore correspondence, but also not to panic and repeatedly verify yourself. Check what has already been completed, locate the personal code and establish which director or PSC requirement is actually outstanding. We've added a full troubleshooting guide to the Finance Hub to help clients work through this before assuming something has gone wrong.

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