Who can act as a referee to verify your relationship status
Your referee must be someone over 18 who can confirm your relationship status. But they can’t be any of the following:
- your parent or stepparent
- a sibling or child
- your correspondence nominee
- your most recent ex-partner.
Your referee should be a person who is familiar with your circumstances. It’s preferable that a referee be a person of some standing in the community. For example, a minister of religion, doctor, police officer, counsellor, social or welfare worker, solicitor, or community leader.
If they give a false declaration, they may face penalties.