Locked out by HMRC website, long call queues and emails that look dodgy:

Couples eligible for a new marriage tax break worth up to £212 a year are struggling to sign up — because a government security system is locking them out. Last month, HM Revenue & Customs sent out emails inviting married couples and civil partners to apply online. But problems with the application process have triggered a flood of letters to our postbag. Many complain they’ve been unable to get the tax break because they can’t pass the test to prove their identity online. Others struggling to apply have had to wait up to an hour to speak to a tax adviser on the phone. Yet more have been left baffled by emails from tax officials telling them to give out personal details. This goes against HMRC advice to ignore such correspondence. Rosamund Pratt, 64, of Doncaster, South Yorks, tried to apply online to get the tax break with her husband Michael. ‘I followed all the instructions to prove my identity, but then I ran into a brick wall because I don’t have the right details — in my case, details from a driving licence,’ she says. ‘I thought it was going to be a tax break to save us money and it’s turning into a farce.’ Each year, everyone can earn up to £10,600 without paying a penny of income tax. But many households — such as those with older couples or a stay-at-home parent — have one earner who makes far less than this annually, so can’t make full use of it. The new tax break, which came in on April 6, lets one person in a marriage or civil partnership give £1,060 of the allowance to their partner....Read more here