Uptake of the UK’s Digital Veteran Card remains low several months after launch, with more than 15,000 applications submitted since the October rollout, according to The Register. The outlet reports that level of adoption is under 1 percent of the 1.8 million veterans eligible for the physical Veteran Card.
The digital Veteran Card is hosted within the GOV.UK One Login app and is optional, The Register reports. The UK government has also promoted the launch of a digital version of the card through an official announcement, positioning it as an alternative to the physical credential for veterans who choose to use it.
The Veteran Card launch has been tied to wider UK digital identity work, including plans described as a national digital ID trial with the Veteran Card, separate reporting on the digital driving licence trials in the GOV.UK One Login app, and policy and stakeholder activity such as a UK Parliament digital ID group focused on GOV.UK Wallet development.
Applications for the digital version are made through the GOV.UK One Login app, which hosts the credential.
As described by The Register, the current digital card supports in-person verification but does not support online use and does not cover some benefits associated with the physical card, including certain travel and rail benefits tied to the physical version. The Register’s reporting characterizes the feature set as limited compared with what would be required for wider online verification use cases.
The Register also links the Veteran Card rollout to a broader plan for the government’s identity and wallet tooling. The publication reports that the GOV.UK One Login app is expected to evolve into a wider GOV.UK Wallet as additional digital IDs are added, including a digital driving licence pilot.
In a statement cited by The Register, the Government Digital Service said: “Later this year, the digital driving license will be rolled out more widely, enabling people to store their driving license on their phone, making it easier and faster to prove who you are and your driving entitlements,” describing a planned expansion of phone-based credential storage within the app ecosystem.
The numbers cited by The Register provide an early adoption datapoint as GOV.UK Wallet work continues. With more than 15,000 applications reported since October against an eligible population of 1.8 million, the uptake rate remains below 1% while the government continues to outline a broader roadmap for wallet-style storage of multiple credentials in the GOV.UK One Login app environment.
Sources: The Register, UK Government (GOV.UK)
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By Ali Nassar-Smith
