UK plans mandatory digital ID cards for work in new identity scheme

The government on Thursday announced plans to introduce a digital ID system across the United Kingdom, saying the scheme will make it harder for people to work without legal status and help secure borders. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the move as essential to ensuring that anyone who wants to work in the UK can do so only if they have the proper right to live and work. Ministers said the IDs would be compulsory for anyone seeking employment, but would not need to be carried day to day by most people. The government said the plan would be rolled out by the end of the Parliament. In a briefing around the proposals, Starmer asserted that “you will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It’s as simple as that.”

The system is described as an app-based digital ID that would be stored on a smartphone in a manner similar to the NHS App or digital bank cards. It would contain the holder’s residency status, name, date of birth, nationality, and a photo, with the aim of proving a person’s right to live and work in the UK. Officials said the scheme is intended to curb illegal immigration by making it harder for people without status to obtain employment, and ministers argued that employers currently rely on a National Insurance number or paper-based checks that can be bypassed. The plan envisions a future where digital IDs could streamline access to a range of government services, while reducing fraud in applications for benefits or services.

But the government’s proposal drew immediate questions from lawmakers who warned about the trade-offs between security and civil liberties. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said there are arguments for and against digital ID, but argued that making it mandatory “requires a proper national debate.” She used a post on X to question whether the country can trust Labour to implement a costly program that could impose new burdens on law-abiding people. The Liberal Democrats’ Shadow Attorney General Ben Maguire told the BBC that his party remained unconvinced that the policy would meaningfully reduce illegal migration. Critics have long argued that even a limited digital ID could usher in broader privacy concerns and potential overreach by government.

The plan states that digital ID will be available to all UK citizens and legal residents and will be mandatory only for those who want to work. For students, pensioners, or others not seeking employment, having a digital ID would be optional. Officials emphasized that the ID would not function like a traditional identity card; people would not be required to carry it in public, and access to healthcare or welfare payments would not depend on possessing the ID. Nevertheless, the system is designed to integrate with some government services to simplify applications and reduce fraud, with the potential to, over time, streamline processes for driving licenses, childcare, and welfare and to make it easier to access tax records.

The government has promised that the system will be inclusive and will provide options for people without smartphones, passports, or reliable internet access. A public consultation is expected later this year to examine alternatives for groups such as older people or the homeless, potentially including physical documents or face-to-face support. Officials noted that the plan would be modelled on successful digital ID frameworks used in other countries rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.

On the international stage, ministers said the UK would take the best elements of digital ID systems already in use elsewhere, including Estonia, Australia, Denmark and India. Estonia’s system, introduced in 2002, is widely used for medical records, voting, banking and digital signatures and is primarily smartphone-based. Australia and Denmark have app-based IDs that grant access to government and private services, though neither country requires a digital ID for everyday life. India runs a nationwide program that provides a unique 12-digit reference number to verify residence and identity. Other countries such as Singapore, Greece, France, and the United Arab Emirates also utilize forms of digital ID.

Historically, the UK has experimented with ID cards before. Tony Blair’s Labour government introduced voluntary ID cards in the early 2000s, but the scheme was scrapped in 2011 by a Conservative-led coalition amid cost concerns and fears over privacy and government power. The country’s wartime experience with compulsory ID cards has not translated into a lasting, nationwide program in peacetime, leaving digital ID proponents to argue that technology has evolved to make such a system more practical and secure, while opponents warn that privacy and civil liberties remain paramount.

Public reaction has been sharp. Civil liberties groups and privacy advocates have argued that even a limited digital ID could pave the way for broader surveillance, raising concerns about data security and government overreach. Big Brother Watch and seven other organizations signed a letter urging the prime minister to abandon the plan, describing it as a step that could push unauthorized migrants further into the shadows. On Parliament’s petitions site, more than 850,000 people have signed a petition against digital ID cards, signaling potential political pressure as discussions proceed. Former Conservative cabinet minister David Davis has warned that no system is immune to failure and suggested that governments and tech companies have repeatedly failed to protect data in the past.

If advanced as planned, the digital ID would be a core pillar of a broader digital-government push, a technology-and-AI–driven effort aimed at modernizing how citizens interact with public services while curbing fraud and illegal employment. The rollout timeline targets the end of the current Parliament, with a public consultation expected later this year to determine the balance between security, convenience, and civil liberties. The government stressed that the plan would evolve over time, with potential expansions to services such as driving licenses and tax records, but critics say the path from an identity check for work to a generalized digital profile for everyday life raises important questions about consent, transparency, and data protection.