How do I get back into my HMRC account if I changed my phone number?

At the 2-step verification stage, select 'You can get help' or 'Problems with the code' and follow the steps. HMRC will verify you using alternative details like your National Insurance number, tax record information, and email. If that fails, call the HMRC online services helpline on 0300 200 3600.

What if I can't verify my identity because I changed my name after marriage?

GOV.UK identity verification requires the name on your ID document to match exactly what Experian or DWP holds. If HMRC still has your old name, update it first by calling Income Tax general enquiries or writing to HMRC — you do not need to log in to do this. Once your name is updated, identity verification will work with your new passport or driving licence.

Can I just create a new Government Gateway account?

You can create new sign-in details, but you cannot attach your existing tax records (Self Assessment, Personal Tax Account) to a new account without verifying your identity — which fails if your name doesn't match. Creating a new account doesn't solve the problem; you need to recover the existing one.

Which HMRC helpline handles Government Gateway login problems?

The HMRC online services helpline on 0300 200 3600. This is different from the Self Assessment helpline (0300 200 3310), which handles tax queries but not login or access issues. If you're sent to the wrong department, ask specifically for the online services technical support team.

I'm being fined for late Self Assessment but can't log in to file. What do I do?

Request a paper return by calling the Self Assessment helpline on 0300 200 3310. You can file by post while you sort out your online access, which stops further daily penalties accumulating. Keep proof of your request and posting.

I can't remember which authenticator app I used for 2FA — what do I do?

It doesn't matter which app you used. The recovery process is the same: at the 2FA stage, select 'You can get help' and follow the alternative verification steps, or call the Online Services Helpdesk on 0300 200 3600. HMRC will remove the existing 2FA method and let you set up a new one — you don't need to recover the old app.

Locked Out of Your HMRC Government Gateway Account? How to Get Back In

A Reddit user recently described a nightmare that will be familiar to anyone who’s changed their phone number and their name (through marriage or otherwise) in the last few years:

“I changed my phone number around 2 years ago so cannot receive a code to log into my Government Gateway account. However, I also cannot verify my identity using passport/driving licence as I got married last year and changed my name so both of these documents have my new name. I’ve tried creating a new account but it recognises that I already have an account so won’t let me proceed. I’m just going round in circles with nobody seemingly able to help me.”

They’d called HMRC and been told they weren’t “the right people.” They’d emailed and reached the team that handles the chatbot, not account access. They were, in their words, “losing my mind.”

If you’re in this situation — locked out of your HMRC account because of a changed phone number, a changed name, or both — here’s the thing nobody tells you: the circularity is real, but it has a break point. You just have to know which helpline to call and in what order to do things.

Why You’re Stuck: The Double Lockout

There are two separate barriers here, and you need to understand both to get past them.

Barrier 1: The 2FA code goes to your old phone number

When you log into Government Gateway, you enter your user ID and password, then HMRC sends a 6-digit access code to your phone by text. If you changed your phone number and didn’t update it in your HMRC account (which requires logging in — the first part of the circle), the code goes to a number you no longer have.

Barrier 2: Identity verification fails because of your name change

HMRC’s online identity verification checks the name on your photo ID (passport or driving licence) against what Experian or the DWP holds about you. According to GOV.UK’s guidance on proving identity:

“You can prove your identity using an identity document with any of your names on it, but the name on the document must match the details that Experian or DWP keeps about you. You cannot currently prove your identity with GOV.UK One Login if the names do not match exactly.”

So if you got married, changed your name on your passport and driving licence, but HMRC/Experian still has your maiden name — your new-name documents won’t match, and verification fails.

Why creating a new account doesn’t work

You might think: “I’ll just create a new Government Gateway account with my new name.” You can create new sign-in details easily. But as the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group explains, those credentials “only become meaningful once a service has been ‘attached’ to the account. To attach a tax service… you need to verify your identity.”

And verification fails because of the name mismatch. So you’re back to square one. The system recognises you already have an account linked to your identity, and it won’t let you attach the same tax records to a second one.

The Break Point: Update Your Name First

Here’s the key insight that breaks the circle: you can update your name with HMRC without logging into your online account. You don’t need online access to tell HMRC your name has changed.

According to HMRC’s change of details guidance, you can update your name by:

Option 1: Phone (fastest)

Call Income Tax: general enquiries on 0300 200 3300 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm). Tell them you’ve changed your name due to marriage and need to update your records. Have ready:

Your National Insurance number
Your date of birth
Your address
Your marriage certificate (have it to hand in case they ask for details)
Your old name and new name

HMRC will update their records, which feeds through to the identity verification system. This can take a few days to propagate to Experian/DWP.

Option 2: Webchat

Go to GOV.UK Contact HMRC and use the HMRC digital assistant. If it can’t help, ask to be transferred to a webchat with an HMRC adviser. They can update your name during the chat.

Option 3: Post

Write to HMRC at:

PAYE and Self Assessment HM Revenue and Customs BX9 1AS United Kingdom

Include your National Insurance number, old name, new name, date of birth, address, and a copy of your marriage certificate. This is the slowest option — allow several weeks.

Why this works

Once HMRC updates your name in their records, the name on your new passport or driving licence will match what the identity verification system holds. When you then try to verify your identity online, it should pass. This breaks the circularity: you don’t need online access to update your name, and updating your name is what makes online access possible again.

Recovering Your 2FA Access (Once Name Is Updated)

After your name is updated with HMRC (or if your name was never the problem — you only changed your phone number), here’s how to recover your 2-step verification:

Step 1: Use the “Get help” link at the 2FA stage

This is the step most people miss. According to HMRC’s “Problems signing in” guidance:

“Sign in with your Government Gateway user ID and password. Select ‘You can get help’ when asked for an access code and follow the steps.”

When you reach the screen asking for your 6-digit access code, don’t give up — look for a link that says “You can get help” or “Problems with the code”. Click it. This routes you to alternative verification options that may include:

Answering questions based on your tax record (PAYE income, P60 details, tax credit information)
Verifying via the email linked to your account
Using your National Insurance number and date of birth
Receiving a code by voice call to a landline (if you set one up)

If you can pass these alternative checks, HMRC will let you update your phone number and set up 2FA again.

Step 2: Call the correct helpline

If the online recovery doesn’t work, call the HMRC online services helpline on 0300 200 3600 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).

This is the helpline specifically for technical problems with HMRC online services — login issues, access codes, identity verification problems. It is different from the Self Assessment helpline (0300 200 3310), which handles tax questions but not login problems.

The Reddit poster was likely passed to the Self Assessment helpline or another department that doesn’t handle Gateway access. If you call and the person says they can’t help, ask specifically: “I need the online services technical support team — can you transfer me?”

As HMRC’s technical support contact page notes, this helpline handles “problems with verifying your identity, your log in details or receiving access codes.” That’s exactly this situation.

Step 3: Use Relay UK if you can’t use the phone

If you can’t hear or speak on the phone, dial 18001 then 0300 200 3600 to use Relay UK.

If You’re Being Fined While Locked Out

This is the cruellest part of the lockout: you can’t file your Self Assessment because you can’t log in, and HMRC is charging you daily penalties for late filing. The HMRC customer forum has documented cases of exactly this happening.

Here’s the fix: request a paper return.

Call the Self Assessment helpline on 0300 200 3310 and explain that you’re locked out of your online account and need a paper return (form SA100). They’ll post one to you. You can complete and return it by post, which stops the daily penalties accumulating while you sort out your online access.

Keep a record of:

The date you requested the paper return
The date you posted it back (get a proof of posting from the Post Office — it’s free)
Any reference numbers the helpline gives you

If you’ve already been fined, you can appeal on the grounds that you were unable to file online due to circumstances beyond your control (account lockout). See our guide on how to appeal an HMRC penalty for the process. “I was locked out of my Government Gateway account and couldn’t file online” can constitute a reasonable excuse, especially if you can show you were actively trying to resolve the access issue.

The Full Recovery Sequence

If you have both problems (changed phone number AND changed name), here’s the order to do things:

Call Income Tax general enquiries (0300 200 3300) and update your name. Have your marriage certificate ready.
Wait a few days for the name change to propagate through HMRC’s systems and to Experian/DWP.
Go to the HMRC sign-in page, enter your user ID and password, and at the 2FA stage select “You can get help” or “Problems with the code.”
Follow the alternative verification steps — answer questions about your tax record, NI number, etc.
If that fails, call the online services helpline (0300 200 3600) and ask them to help with 2-step verification recovery.
Once you’re in, immediately update your phone number and consider adding a backup method (HMRC app, authenticator app, or landline) so this never happens again.
If you have overdue Self Assessment, request a paper return (0300 200 3310) while you sort out access, to stop penalties accumulating.

Preventing This in Future

Once you’re back in:

Add a second 2FA method. HMRC supports the HMRC app, an authenticator app, and voice call to a landline as alternatives to SMS. Set up at least two methods so you have a backup if you lose your phone.
Update your details promptly. If you change your phone number, name, or address, update HMRC the same day. The “tell HMRC about a change” service at gov.uk/tell-hmrc-change-of-details is the quickest way.
Keep your Government Gateway user ID and password somewhere safe. Not in your phone’s notes app (which you might lose). A password manager, a physical notebook in a drawer, or both.
If you get married, update HMRC before you update your passport. That way the name change flows through HMRC’s system first, and when you later get your new passport, the identity verification will match.

The Bottom Line

The circularity is real but breakable. You can update your name with HMRC by phone or post without logging in — that’s the break point.
Use the “Get help” link at the 2FA stage. It’s easy to miss but it’s the official recovery route for lost phone access.
Call the right helpline: 0300 200 3600 (online services technical support), not the Self Assessment helpline. If you get the wrong department, ask to be transferred.
If you’re being fined while locked out, request a paper return on 0300 200 3310. Filing by post stops the penalties while you recover access.
You’re not the first person this has happened to. HMRC’s own customer forums are full of people with the same name-change lockout. It’s a known problem with a known solution — you just have to know the sequence.

For the full list of Self Assessment deadlines, penalties, and payment options, see our Self Assessment deadlines and payment hub.

For the full overview of access and registration problems — locked out of your account, lost UTR, never registered, lost everything at once — see our can’t access your HMRC account hub. If you’ve also lost your UTR number and can’t find it, see our guide on what to do if you’ve lost your UTR. If you’re facing penalties while locked out, see how to appeal an HMRC penalty.

Back to Panic Room · Back to Guide