Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed plans to introduce digital IDs by the end of this Parliament.
Here is what we know so far:
– Will they be compulsory?
Digital IDs will become mandatory to prove the right to work, but people will not be required to carry the document or be asked to produce it.
All UK citizens and everyone who wants to work in the UK will have to have one.
The Government will make sure everyone has one in the same way that every citizen of the UK has a national insurance number, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said.
She stressed however that it would be up to people to decide if they want to use the ID.
Ms Nandy appeared to be referring to a choice of whether to have the ID downloaded on to a phone or to use it for reasons beyond proving the right to work.
“Although all UK citizens will have a digital ID, it will not be mandatory for people to use it. It will be entirely their choice,” she said.
– Why is the Government doing this?
The IDs are intended to be authoritative proof of identity to show the right to work.
They are part of efforts to deter illegal immigrants from travelling to the UK as the Government hopes the move will make it harder for people to work without the right to do so.
National insurance numbers will not suffice to check employment rights in future and Ms Nandy flagged that because they are not linked to photo ID, it is difficult to verify that they are being used by the right person.
In the long term, the IDs could be used to apply for other services – such as driving licences, childcare and welfare – or give quicker access to tax records.
Countries that already have similar systems in place include Denmark, where students can log in and retrieve records needed for job or university applications using their national digital IDs.
– How will people get the IDs?
The IDs will be held on smartphones – in the same way the NHS App and contactless bank cards are – and the Government has said it will ensure everyone has one.
However, it is not yet clear how the scheme will be rolled out.
A consultation is yet to come and will seek to determine how it would work for groups who may not use phones or have difficulty doing so, including older people, the homeless and people with disabilities.
The Government has already been working on a GOV.UK digital wallet for use on smartphones, which will house a digital driving licence that has already been announced.
– What about cybersecurity concerns?
The system will use encryption and authentication technology that is already in use to protect digital transactions.
If a device is stolen or lost, the digital credentials stored on it can be revoked and reissued right away.
The Government expects this to provide better security than traditional physical documents.
– Does it require legislation?
The move is subject to consultation but when asked whether the change would go before Parliament or just be done, Ms Nandy told LBC: “This is being done.”
