It was 7.10am in Sunderland and Lorraine had 20 minutes before her shift in the school kitchen. A brown HMRC envelope had arrived the day before, asking her to check her tax code online. She typed her user ID, typed her password, and the screen came back with “Sorry, there is a problem with the service.” Her laptop, her password, or HMRC itself? If you’ve ever sat there with Government Gateway not working and no idea which it is, this is the order to work through it.
Government Gateway Problems at a Glance
| Is it HMRC? | Check the HMRC service availability pages on GOV.UK first |
| Wrong password lock-out | Opens again by itself after 2 hours; the helpdesk cannot lift it early |
| Identity check failed too often | Wait 24 hours, then sign in and try again |
| Access code life | Text and voice codes last 15 minutes; app codes change every 30 to 60 seconds |
| Activation code by post | 12 characters, use within 28 days of the letter date |
| Helpdesk | 0300 200 3600, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, closed bank holidays |
| Since 9 Feb 2026 | New individual customers get GOV.UK One Login; existing Gateway IDs still work |
First, Work Out Whether It’s You or HMRC
Lorraine’s mistake was to start changing her password at once. Before touching anything, open HMRC’s service availability page on GOV.UK. Every service, from Self Assessment to Child Benefit, has a page listing planned downtime and live problems. Outages happen: on 4 August 2025 HMRC posted that its IT experts were urgently investigating problems across several services, and planned maintenance has run from 10pm on a Friday to 7am on a Monday. The wording on screen is a clue too. “Sorry, there is a problem with the service” means something broke at HMRC’s end, and some versions add that your answers are saved for 30 days. If the pages say all is well, the fault is closer to home, and knowing how a Government Gateway account is set up helps you find it.
“We Could Not Confirm Your Identity”
Her son Kieran hit a different wall that evening. New to work, he tried to see his tax code and got “We could not confirm your identity.” HMRC shows that heading for three reasons: your details don’t match its records, you didn’t give enough information, or you’ve failed too many times. The third carries a penalty, a 24-hour wait before you can sign in again, so stop guessing. The usual cause is a mismatch, not fraud. HMRC checks you against a passport, driving licence, P60 or recent payslips, and the name and address it holds must match those documents exactly. Kieran’s address was still his dad’s. He told HMRC, then tried again the next day. The same mismatches bite when you check your National Insurance record online, so sort them once.
The Access Code That Never Arrives
Back at the kitchen table, Lorraine’s password was accepted but no access code came. Government Gateway sends codes by text, voice call or authenticator app. A text or voice code lasts 15 minutes, and an app code changes every 30 to 60 seconds, so a code typed in late always fails. No text at all usually means no signal, a number you no longer use, or a blocked sender. On the code screen, select “You can get help” to change how you receive it. If your old number is long gone, only the helpdesk can remove it and link a new one. App users who keep seeing “wrong code” should set the phone’s clock to automatic. Set up two methods while all works, and keep the HMRC app as a third route in.
Locked Out for 2 Hours
By 7.25am Lorraine had tried five passwords, and the screen told her the account was locked. GOV.UK is blunt about what happens next: the account opens again after 2 hours, and helpdesk advisers cannot do it sooner, however nicely you ask. She rang anyway and was told to make a cup of tea. The lesson is to stop after two wrong guesses and use the “forgotten password” route instead, which doesn’t count against you. Many lock-outs start with the wrong ID rather than the wrong password. The Gateway user ID is up to 12 characters and is not your 10-digit UTR or your National Insurance number. If the ID itself has vanished, the sign-in page will show you how to recover a lost Government Gateway user ID rather than making you start again.
Wrong Door: Individual, Organisation or One Login
Lorraine’s neighbour Dev runs a taxi firm and once spent an hour convinced his Self Assessment had been deleted. He’d signed in with his Organisation account, and his personal tax return lives on his Individual one. Gateway has three account types, Individual, Organisation and Agent, and each shows only the services added to it. The 2026 change adds another door. Since 9 February 2026, new HMRC customers without a Gateway ID create a GOV.UK One Login with an email and password instead, which is what Kieran got. Existing customers keep their Gateway details until HMRC contacts them, not before 2027. One Login codes come by text to a UK mobile or an authenticator app, and expire after 15 minutes. Unsure which door is yours? Start with how a Government Gateway account is set up.
Browser Gremlins: Cookies, Loops and the App
Two hours later, Lorraine’s account was open again, but the sign-in page kept reloading. That loop, like “invalid request” messages and blank screens, is nearly always the browser. Clear the cookies for tax.service.gov.uk, close the browser fully, and try again. Ad blockers and privacy extensions can break the page too; if it works in a private window, an extension is the culprit. Outdated versions of Chrome, Edge or Firefox cause trouble too. The HMRC app uses the same sign-in details, but if fingerprint or face sign-in stops working, switch the setting off and on again, or use the 6-digit PIN. Once you’re in, the first job is to check your tax code online, which is what the letter wanted in the first place.
The Activation Code That Ran Out
Dev’s second problem was a letter left on the hall table. When you add some services, such as Self Assessment or PAYE for employers, HMRC posts a 12-character activation code, which takes around 5 to 10 days to arrive, or up to 21 abroad. The code must be used within 28 days of the date printed on the letter. Miss that and the code is dead, and HMRC’s help pages say you must register for the service again and wait for a fresh letter. Dev’s was 6 weeks old. Open the letter the day it lands, sign in and type the code straight away. Anyone about to file Self Assessment online for the first time should remember the 5 October 2026 registration deadline and allow a fortnight for the post.
When to Ring the Helpdesk (and When Not To)
When nothing above works, the HMRC Online Services Helpdesk is on 0300 200 3600, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, closed bank holidays. From abroad it’s +44 161 930 8445, and Relay UK users dial 18001 first. Advisers deal with error messages, identity problems, sign-in details and access codes, with extra support if a health condition makes online services harder. They won’t answer tax questions, and VAT online problems go to the VAT helpline. Try the digital assistant on HMRC’s sign-in help page first; it can pass you to a webchat adviser. One more thing: access codes arriving by text when you haven’t tried to sign in are a warning sign, not a glitch. Report it to HMRC, change your password, and read up on the HMRC text scam.
Where This Leaves You
Lorraine got in at lunchtime, on her phone, in the staff room. Her password had been right all along; the problem was a cookie and a rush. Most cases of Government Gateway not working come down to one of the eight things above, and only an HMRC outage is out of your hands. Work through the list in order, stop guessing passwords after the second miss, and set up a second way to get access codes this week, while everything still works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Government Gateway down today?
Check the HMRC service availability pages on GOV.UK. Each service has its own page listing planned downtime and current problems, updated by HMRC.
How long is my Government Gateway account locked for?
After too many wrong sign-in attempts, your account opens again by itself after 2 hours. Helpdesk advisers cannot lift the lock-out early, so wait it out.
Why am I not getting my HMRC access code?
Text and voice codes last 15 minutes and need signal and a current number. Choose “You can get help” on the code screen to change your method.
What does “we could not confirm your identity” mean?
Your details did not match HMRC’s records, you gave too little information, or you failed too many times. After repeated failures you must wait 24 hours.
Has Government Gateway been replaced by GOV.UK One Login?
Not yet. Since 9 February 2026 new individual HMRC customers get GOV.UK One Login, but existing Government Gateway IDs keep working until HMRC contacts you.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Rules, phone numbers and opening hours can change, so check the official GOV.UK pages before acting. Figures correct as of August 2026.