The government has abandoned its plan to mandate the use of a digital ID scheme for workers to prove their right to work in the UK, according to sources familiar with the matter. The policy shift means that while right to work checks will be conducted digitally by 2029, potentially utilizing biometric passports, registration with the new digital ID program will be voluntary.
This decision marks a reversal from the government's initial stance announced last year, when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that digital ID would be a prerequisite for employment in the United Kingdom. "You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It's as simple as that," Starmer said at the time.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the change, calling the original policy "terrible" and describing the current move as "another U-turn" by the Labour government. The abandonment of mandatory digital ID joins a series of policy reversals by the government, including adjustments to welfare reforms, winter fuel payments, and inheritance tax regulations for farmers.
The government had initially argued that mandatory digital ID for workers would enhance efforts to combat illegal immigration by streamlining the verification process. The scheme, as initially conceived, aimed to simplify and expedite right to work checks, making it more difficult for individuals without proper authorization to gain employment.
The current status of the digital ID program remains focused on optional registration. The government has not yet detailed specific plans for encouraging voluntary participation or the incentives that might be offered to individuals who choose to register. Further announcements regarding the implementation and rollout of the digital right to work check system are expected in the coming months.
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