Committee publication · Report · 20 May 2026 · HC 986
8th Report - Mandatory to manageable: the government’s plans for digital ID
From: Home Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Harnessing the potential of new digital forms of identification
Government response deadline: 20 July 2026
Summary
The Home Affairs Committee examines the government's digital ID policy following its September 2025 announcement of mandatory digital ID for right-to-work checks. After public backlash (2.98 million e-petition signatures) and internal concerns, the government abandoned mandatory digital ID in January 2026 but maintained plans for mandatory digital right-to-work checks. The committee criticises the rushed policy development process and questions government capacity to deliver, while welcoming engagement with the digital verification sector and privacy-preserving design principles.
Key findings
- The government's initial announcement of mandatory digital ID was rushed and lacked public consultation or sustained rationale; public support for digital ID dropped from 53% (November 2024) to 31% (September 2025) following the announcement.
- After backing-to-front policy development, the government abandoned mandatory digital ID in January 2026 but retained plans for mandatory digital right-to-work checks by end of Parliament, a significant change inadequately explained to the public.
- Government capacity concerns: NAO found successive governments' digital transformation attempts had 'little lasting success'; GOV.UK Verify (2014–2023) suffered 'optimism bias and failure to set clear objectives.' The OBR estimated £1.8 billion cost (2026/27–2028/29); government disputes this but has no own cost estimate.
- 5.2% of working-age population in England/Wales lack valid passports (13.5% countrywide, 17.7% in Scotland); mandatory digital checks risk excluding citizens without passports unless government provides targeted support.
- Digital verification services sector contributes £2 billion annually and conducts 5 million UK right-to-work checks yearly; government initially threatened sector but improved engagement post-announcement through external oversight board and consultation.
Recommendations
- When publishing consultation response, set out clear estimate of expected costs, forecast benefits, and detailed implementation roadmap.
- Ensure transition to digital right-to-work checks reflects policy significance; engage public on identity document requirements for working in UK and whether government support needed for document accessibility.
- Work with businesses to ensure effective guidance on digital right-to-work checks and employer responsibilities.
- Establish safeguards against expanding digital ID use without prior parliamentary approval.
- Adopt privacy-preserving design enabling users to control data sharing; clarify whether system will be user-held (federated wallet) or government-held database.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Dame Karen Bradley, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones, Home Office Minister Mike Tapp, Silkie Carlo (Big Brother Watch), David Crack (Association of Digital Verification Professionals), Joanna Hunt (DAC Beachcroft), Alex Hall-Chen (Institute of Directors), Age Verification Providers Association
Notable line
“… the announcement undermined what existing public support there was for digital ID. Subsequent developments …”
Key Quotes
“… all that we are trying to do is get the consultation and legislation in place for us to build the digital ID system and integrate it into the app, allowing for a digital verification of right to work checks”
“When individuals are enrolled in mandatory systems, you lose that control over how you manage your data, and you are relying on either the companies or the state.”
“… the government's initial announcement had "poisoned the well".”
“… people generally have low trust that, when something goes wrong with their data, it will be well regulated and action will be taken – you see that with things like the Afghan data breaches”
“… for Digital Identities and Attributes, 'Understanding the digital identity market: key insights' , 21 December 2024 5 with the public by a decade or more".”
“… it would have been better to have followed up the Prime Minister's announcement with more public engagement”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗