Government Confirms Digital ID Rollout
An overview of the new mandatory digital ID scheme and implications for employers and applicants
• The government has confirmed plans to introduce a mandatory digital ID system for Right to Work checks, announced by Kier Starmer. • Aims to prevent illegal working, reduce fraud and simplify employment verification by replacing physical documents with a secure app-based ID. • Will be mandatory for proving a person’s right to work, but voluntary for most other uses. • Set to become fully in use by 2029. • Marks the UK’s first nationwide digital identity framework.
• The scheme could streamline onboarding and reduce administrative errors, benefiting employers and compliance teams. • As all checks become digital and fully traceable, the shift is likely to place more responsibility on employers to ensure every step is completed correctly. • In practice, a digital-only system could disadvantage people who don’t have reliable online access, which may slow down or complicate the process for some applicants. • Critics have argued the plan could raise Human Rights concerns around privacy, warning that digital ID can risk increase monitoring of individuals. • The details released later this year, around usability, accessibility and data protection, will shape how the scheme operates in practice.
- UK Government, ‘New Digital ID scheme to be rolled out across UK’ (26 September 2025) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-digital-id-scheme-to-be-rolled-out-across-uk accessed 28 September
- House of Commons Library, ‘Digital ID in the UK’ (Briefing paper) https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10369/ accessed 30 September
- Big Brother Watch, ‘Checkpoint Britian: the dangers of digital ID and why privacy must be protected’ https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/press-releases/big-brother-watch-warns-of-checkpoint-britain-in-vital-new-report-examining-the-dangers-of-digital-id/ accessed 29 September