Three claims are circulating among Polish company owners in the UK: “Companies House verification costs money”, “everyone has the same deadline in November” and “nobody checks it anyway”. We checked them against official Companies House and Insolvency Service documents.
What the official data says
Since 18 November 2025 a newly appointed director must verify their identity before taking up the role. People who are already directors or PSCs (people with significant control) have a 12-month transition period. They provide their verification with their company’s next annual confirmation statement .
According to Companies House, by 11 June 2026 almost 4 million people had verified their identity and linked it to their roles. The register has also removed 151,000 company addresses since March 2024.
Claim 1: “Verification costs money”
Verdict: FALSE (in its basic form). Online verification through Companies House is free – as confirmed by a government statement of 17 September 2026. You can also use an authorised corporate service provider (ACSP). Such a service may be paid, but it is a choice, not an obligation.
Claim 2: “Everyone has the same deadline in November”
Verdict: MISLEADING. For existing directors the deadline depends on their company’s confirmation statement date during the transition period that began on 18 November 2025. Companies House’s transition plan (updated 23 October 2026) says the whole transition period will end “no earlier than the end of 2026”. After that the register intends to take action against people who have not verified. Those with an earlier confirmation statement also have an earlier deadline.
Claim 3: “Nobody enforces it”
Verdict: FALSE. On 16 September 2026 the first judgments were handed down in cases brought by the Insolvency Service. Three directors were fined between £80 and £307, plus costs and a victim surcharge. All were also convicted of filing a late confirmation statement. The Insolvency Service stresses that the obligation cannot be opted out of.
What is confirmed and what is not
Confirmed: the rules, the free online route, the first judgments and the figure of almost 4 million verified people (as at June 2026). Not confirmed: a single, specific end date of the transition period for everyone – the official plan does not give one and warns that the timetable may change.
Our assessment
The fines in the first cases were low, but the signal matters more: an unverified director may struggle to run the company and to keep the trust of business partners. There is no point putting it off.
What to do
- Check the date of your company’s next confirmation statement in the Companies House register.
- Verify your identity online for free and note down your personal code.
- Beware of emails and texts “from Companies House” demanding payment – check website addresses (gov.uk).
Sources: GOV.UK – Insolvency Service (17.09.2026); Companies House – transition plan (updated 23.10.2026); GOV.UK – Companies House (11.06.2026).
We assess factual corrections and substantive responses. Verified changes are reflected in our reporting.
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