UK scales back digital ID plans amid rising right to work checks

Shara Pledger, an immigration expert with Pinsent Masons, was commenting after the government confirmed it was scrapping the proposed mandatory digital ID scheme aimed at cutting down illegal working in the UK.

The scheme, announced in September, would have made it mandatory by 2029 for all individuals to hold a digital ID to prove their right to work in the UK. The government said it would “make it tougher to work illegally in this country”, and said that employers would also be legally required to carry out the checks.

Initially the government said it would consult on the detailed design and implementation of the digital ID in late 2025 and roll out the scheme to all UK citizens and legal residents by the end of the current Parliament. The scheme was expected to be based on two government-built systems, Gov.uk One Login and Gov.uk Wallet, but physical alternatives to the digital ID card would have been made available for those without smartphones.

However, the scheme has faced mounting opposition, including concerns over data security and privacy and that it could create additional, unnecessary compliance burdens for employers.

The government has now said the scheme will proceed on a voluntary basis only, meaning that individuals will not be legally required to hold a digital ID to evidence their right to work.

Pledger said the policy change does not alter the government’s ongoing commitment to digitising all right to work checks by 2029. “For most migrant workers, this is already standard practice through the Home Office’s online checking service,” she said. “In contrast, British and Irish nationals can still undergo manual checks unless their employer opts to use an identity service provider to conduct digital verification by a fee-paying service.”

However, she warned that the government’s intention to expand digital checks more broadly could see employers face additional compliance costs, unless a free service similar to the Home Office tool for migrant workers is made available. “This will remain a key concern for employers in 2026 with planned expansion of the right to work checking scheme on the horizon, and recent significant increases in illegal working raids, arrests and fines,” she added.