Digital ID is coming to UK
UK moves ahead with digital ID scheme as government says public-service use will be optional!
The UK government is pushing ahead with a national digital ID scheme after King Charles said in the King’s Speech on May 13 that:
“My Ministers will also proceed with the introduction of Digital ID that will modernise how citizens interact with public services.”
The government has paired that pledge with a consultation and a draft Digital Access to Services Bill, moving the proposal from announcement into the legislative pipeline.
NOW - King Charles: "My ministers will also proceed with the introduction of Digital ID." pic.twitter.com/hH328WC9g3
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) May 13, 2026
The plan now taking shape is broader in scope than a simple login tool, but the government is also trying to soften one of the proposal’s most sensitive points.
In its March consultation, it said the digital ID would be a free, reusable credential built into the GOV.UK App, and that “while applying for and using the digital ID will not be required to access public services,” existing routes would stay open for people who prefer them.
The same consultation says the system is intended to work without “creating a single database of all government data about a person.”
That is a shift from the government’s original September 2025 pitch. In that announcement, ministers said the scheme would be available to UK citizens and legal residents and that “Digital ID will be mandatory for Right to Work checks by the end of the Parliament.”
The current consultation still points to digital right-to-work checks as one of the first major use cases, with the government saying employers will eventually have to use digital checks to obtain a statutory excuse, even as people will still be able to verify themselves with a passport or eVisa in some cases.
The official material also shows how the government wants the system to be used beyond immigration checks.
Early use cases include proving age in parts of the private sector, such as buying alcohol, and helping people access public services such as childcare and tax records.
The consultation says the digital ID is aimed at people aged 16 and over at the outset, while asking for views on whether that age limit should be lower or removed entirely.
For now, the important detail is that the scheme is not yet law.
The consultation is still open, the bill has not been passed, and the government is still defining the balance between optional public-service use and mandatory digital checks for employment.
What is already clear is that the UK is moving toward a national digital identity framework built around phones, GOV.UK services and a set of regulated use cases that will expand if Parliament approves the plan.
