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The government has reportedly abandoned plans to mandate digital identification for proving the right to work, according to sources at the BBC.
While digital checks verifying an individual’s eligibility to work will become compulsory, employees will retain the option to use traditional documents like passports instead of being forced to adopt digital IDs.
This decision marks a significant departure from the government’s initial stance announced last year, when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated, “You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It’s as simple as that.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the change, stating, “Good riddance. It was a terrible policy anyway.”
Badenoch characterized the policy reversal as “another U-turn” by the Labour government.
The alteration represents the latest in a series of policy U-turns enacted since the government assumed power, including revisions to welfare reforms, reductions in winter fuel payments, and adjustments to inheritance tax regulations for farmers.
Upon the initial announcement of the policy, the government asserted that mandatory digital IDs for workers would enhance efforts to combat illegal immigration.
The revised scheme will reportedly broaden its focus beyond immigration concerns, with the government now emphasizing the potential utility of digital IDs in facilitating access to public services.
Addressing the issue at an Institute for Government conference on Tuesday, Darren Jones, the minister overseeing the policy’s implementation, described it as “a route to the digital transformation of customer-facing public services.”
He announced an upcoming consultation, expressing confidence that “this time next year the polling will be in a much better place on digital ID than it is today.”
The original policy proposal faced considerable opposition, with nearly three million individuals signing a parliamentary petition against the introduction of mandatory digital IDs.
Concerns were also raised by some Labour MPs regarding the compulsory nature of the initial proposal.
The Liberal Democrats characterized the policy as “doomed to failure” from the outset and advocated for reallocating “the billions of pounds earmarked for their mandatory digital ID scheme” to “the NHS and frontline policing instead.”
Lisa Smart, the party’s Cabinet Office spokesperson, remarked, “No 10 must be bulk ordering motion sickness tablets at this rate to cope with all their U-turns.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stated on X, “This is a victory for individual liberty against a ghastly, authoritarian government. Reform UK would scrap it altogether.”
Green Party leader Zack Polanski acknowledged the news on X, stating, “The government have U-turned on ID cards. Good.”
A government spokesperson stated, “We are committed to mandatory digital right to work checks.”
“Currently right to work checks include a hodge podge of paper-based systems with no record of checks ever taking place. This is open to fraud and abuse.”
“Digital ID will make everyday life easier for people, ensuring public services are more personal, joined-up, and effective, while also remaining inclusive.”
Employers are already required to verify the right to work status of prospective employees in the UK.
Since 2022, employers have had the option to conduct checks on British and Irish citizens holding passports using government-certified digital verification services.
Additionally, the Home Office operates an online scheme to verify the status of certain non-British or Irish citizens whose immigration status is digitally recorded.
Specifics regarding the functionality of digital ID are yet to be finalized, but the system is anticipated to be based on two government-developed platforms: Gov.uk One Login and Gov.uk Wallet.
Currently, over 12 million individuals have registered for One Login, which facilitates access to services such as applying for veteran cards, canceling lost passports, and managing lasting power of attorney.
Gov.uk Wallet, which is yet to be launched, would enable users to store their digital IDs on smartphones.
The digital ID is expected to include information such as name, date of birth, nationality, residence status, and a photograph.
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