UKVI confusing ILR holder details with visiting twin

[TanJL]

Hello all,

I have a very bizarre situation with UKVI (are they still called that?), I realise it's going to be extremely rare & potentially unheard of but would appreciate any advise anyone may be able to give!
My husband has held ILR since 2022, has a BRP.
His twin brother has a very similar name, starts the same & ends with only 2 letters difference. They are not identical. Name is like Paulmane / Paulmark in terms of the difference.

Brother has visited the UK in 2017 for our wedding on a visit visa whilst my husband was on the 'fiance' visa with no issues.
Got another visit visa last year and visited in September, again no issues. Has just used the same visit visa to enter the UK last week and was questioned by the border official, rough conversation as follows:
'why are you entering the UK on a visit visa when you live in the UK & hold ILR'
'I don't live in the UK, my brother does'
'Oh, well, he needs to contact UKVI then because on our system you are the one with ILR and not him'
As told to us by the brother, who didn't ask for any more details or ask any questions... and just entered the UK for his visit.

Have since called UKVI 3 times and have been told someone will be in contact to resolve the issue; have had 2 emails back from them saying they don't know what's going on but to call back & they will help..this time today have again been told that they will contact my husband in the next few days.
My husband has given them all his details, including tax records, NI number etc as requested to try and resolve this but they just keep saying they don't know how/why it's happened but also can't seem to fix it!

We are particularly concerned because he was looking to change jobs but the 'right to work' check on government website; which asks for BRP number & DOB only; shows a photo of my husband, but next to his brothers name, saying he doesn't have the right to work!

We are also travelling abroad in June and are really worried about coming back in if this hasn't been sorted.
Also not making me feel confident about the fact they are doing away with BRP's from the end of this year. That's currently our only proof that my husband does have ILR and they want to take it away soon!

Any advice, experience, questions we should be asking UKVI etc would be much appreciated.

[Ticktack]

This is a very peculiar situation. The best way to solve this would be to travel out of the UK and travel back in. Or you travel to the HO and sit at their gate till someone answers.

When exiting the UK, take with you all necessary documents. History of how he's progressed until ILR. If he's stopped at the POE then it would get resolved one way or the other.

Also take with you evidence that you've been trying to make corrections since it came to your attention, but to no avail.

Prepare for a long day at the airport.

I have a cousin that we have different DOB, but almost identical names. I've always had a feeling that it might happen to me for years.

Frank Johnny Lampard
Frank Joanas Lampard

Last 4 alphabets of middle name is different.

[TanJL]

Thank you for your advice Ticktack!
I don't relish the idea of sitting in the cold in protest at HO so I think we will go with your suggestion to arm ourselves with plenty of paperwork when we leave the UK and expect issues at the border on return.
Ironically, if my husband's brother hadn't come for an impromptu trip this month, we wouldn't have had any idea this had happened (presuming it happened sometime between September & now); and would have been blindsided when we came back from our holiday in July!
Or perhaps at the point my husband's potential employer checked his right to work and found it lacking.
So I suppose we should be grateful it's come to our attention now and hope it gets resolved eventually.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that nothing similar happens for you and your cousin!