Government Certified Certifier

Recently I sought to reactivate a system I am registered with in the UK. They required that I identify myself over the phone (twice), then that I send them a certified copy of my passport -- and that the certifier be certified. So I engaged a government certified certifier. No, they said, not good enough. So what was lacking in a government certified certifier? 30 million people put our government in place. Probably they couldn't track down the certifier's certification, which would be no surprise. I obtained a privately certified certifier. I said, do you realise how much you are costing me? It was equivalent to 120 McDonald's burgers for all the hoops I had to jump through. They said send the receipts, and we'll have a look. OBSERVATION: They knew perfectly well who I was, but they were straining at gnats.