800 ask to change gender

THE number of trans people applying to change their gender legally has almost doubled in a year.

Official figures show there were 802 applications across the UK for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) in 2021-22.

It is almost twice the 466 received in 2020-21, close to triple the 275 recorded 15 years ago, and not far off the record 1,059 after the Gender Recognition Act became law in 2005. The next annual statistics to be published by the Ministry of Justice will show another increase as 842 applications were received in the first three quarters of 202223 alone.

The surge coincides with the Government cutting the cost of the GRC fee from £140 to £5 in May 2021.

A GRC is required if an individual wants a birth certificate or to marry in their acquired gender.