The government has abandoned its plan to require workers to register for a digital ID in order to verify their right to work in the UK, according to sources familiar with the matter. While right to work checks will be conducted digitally by 2029, potentially using biometric passports, participation in the new digital ID program will be voluntary.

This decision marks a reversal from the government's initial policy announcement last year, when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that digital ID would be mandatory for employment in the UK. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the change, describing the original policy as "terrible" and labeling the current move as "another U-turn" by the Labour government.

The government had initially argued that mandatory digital ID for workers would enhance efforts to combat illegal immigration. The now-abandoned scheme was intended to streamline the process of verifying employment eligibility.

This policy shift is the latest in a series of reversals undertaken by the government since assuming power. Other recent U-turns include modifications to welfare reforms, adjustments to winter fuel payments, and changes to inheritance tax regulations for farmers. The government has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the change in digital ID policy. Further details regarding the implementation of digital right to work checks are expected to be released in the coming months.