Category: Cyber Security | Published: 2025-10-02
Interestingly, a petition on the UK Government’s site : https://petition.parliament.uk/ had attracted approaching three million signatures of people opposed to the bill, within a week of the announcement being made.
Rolled out by 2029
The Prime Minister has confirmed that a new digital identity scheme will be introduced across the UK by 2029, with every citizen and legal resident required to use a digital ID to prove their right to work.
Mandatory
The new ID will be free and optional for those not seeking employment, but will be compulsory for anyone taking up paid work. The government says it will replace paper documents and National Insurance numbers for right-to-work checks, with full implementation expected before the next general election. The government also says that, by law, this must take place no later than August 2029.
What Form Will It Take?
The government says the digital ID will be a secure, app-based credential stored on people’s mobile phones using the GOV.UK Wallet system. It will include core personal information such as name, date of birth, nationality or residency status, and a photo. The app will act as a proof of identity and legal right to work, with data encrypted and held directly on the user’s device.
The system has been designed to allow users to share only the information needed in each situation, for example, confirming eligibility to work without revealing unrelated personal details. If a phone is lost or stolen, the credential can be revoked remotely and reissued.
The government says this will replace the need to provide paper copies of documents such as passports or residence permits, and will become the standard method of proving work eligibility across the UK labour market.
Why?
The government says the scheme is designed to reduce illegal working, deter unauthorised migration, and improve the consistency of identity checks. Ministers argue that illegal employment remains a key draw for people entering the UK without permission, and that a digital system will make enforcement more effective.
The new ID is also framed as a broader tool for improving access to public services. It is hoped that over time, it could be used to simplify applications for childcare, benefits, driving licences, and tax records, although these uses will be optional, not mandatory.
In a statement issued through Downing Street, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: _“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure.”_
However, some opponents believe the move is motivated more by political positioning than practical enforcement. For example, with pressure mounting over small boat crossings and immigration policy, privacy campaigners argue that the scheme could have been designed primarily to reassure voters rather than address the root causes of illegal working.
Previous attempts
It should be noted here that this is not the first time a UK government has proposed a national identity scheme. Back in the early 2000s, then-Prime Minister Tony Blair introduced plans for a physical ID card, which became law in 2006. The cards were intended to help combat terrorism, immigration abuse, and benefit fraud, and were linked to a central National Identity Register.
However, the scheme faced widespread opposition on civil liberties grounds and was criticised for being expensive, intrusive, and ineffective. In 2010, the incoming Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government scrapped the programme and destroyed the database. At the time, the Home Secretary called it a “high-cost, high-risk” scheme that offered little public benefit.
Although the new digital ID plan differs in format, with no central identity register and no requirement to carry or show ID in public, it seems that many of the same concerns about privacy and state overreach have re-emerged.
Encrypted
Although the digital ID will be held on a person’s phone in the form of a secure app-based wallet, similar to the NHS app or mobile payment cards, it will use encrypted, on-device storage so that if a phone is lost, the credential can be immediately revoked and reissued.
For Working Legally
Current right-to-work rules already require employers to check and retain copies of identity documents, such as passports or biometric residence permits, or to use the Home Office online service. Civil penalties for non-compliance can be up to £60,000 per illegal worker for repeat offences.
Ministers say the new digital ID will therefore reduce the risk of fraud, speed up hiring, and close off loopholes that currently allow the use of borrowed or forged documents. It is also intended to help enforcement agencies identify patterns of non-compliance across the labour market, including in casual and gig economy roles.
According to the Cabinet Office, _“a new streamlined digital system to check right to work will simplify the process, drive up compliance, crack down on forged documents and create intelligence data on businesses.”_
Border Security
The policy has also been presented by the Prime Minister as a key part of the government’s approach to tackling illegal migration (which has been much in the news lately). In a statement issued through Downing Street, he said: _“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure.”_
He added: _“We are doing the hard graft to deliver a fairer Britain for those who want to see change, not division. That is at the heart of our Plan for Change.”_
Ministers argue that access to informal work is a major incentive for people entering the country without permission. By requiring all legal workers to use digital ID, the government hopes to reduce the so-called _“pull factor”_ of illegal employment.
What Is (And Isn’t) Required
The government says the digital ID will be required only for those seeking paid employment. There are no plans to require it for everyday activities such as accessing healthcare or public spaces, and people will not be expected to carry proof of identity at all times. For example, the government materials explicitly state that “there will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it” outside of employment-related checks.
However, the digital ID is expected to become increasingly useful for other tasks, such as accessing childcare, welfare, or tax records. It’s understood these uses will be optional, with ministers presenting them as convenience features rather than legal requirements.
Access And Inclusion
While the system is designed primarily for smartphone use, ministers have also confirmed that physical alternatives will be made available for people who are digitally excluded. This may include older people, those experiencing homelessness, or individuals without regular access to internet-connected devices.
Consultation Planned
A formal public consultation will launch later this year, seeking input on how to design the system inclusively. The government says this will include engagement with charities and local authorities, as well as face-to-face outreach and support services.
The Cabinet Office says the aim is to create _“a service that takes the best aspects of the digital identification systems that are already up and running around the world,”_ while ensuring it “works for those who aren’t able to use a smartphone.”
Used In Other Countries
Some other countries already have working digital ID schemes. Examples of these that the UK’s digital ID model draws on include Estonia, Denmark, Australia, and India. For example:
– In Estonia, c