The UK government opened a public consultation on its plans for a national digital identity system, outlining a framework built around three principles: that the new ID must be useful, inclusive, and trusted.
Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, announced the consultation details on Tuesday, alongside plans for a citizens’ assembly of 100 randomly selected members of the public to contribute views. The consultation, published on GOV.UK, runs until 12:30pm on May 5, 2026.
The government intends the digital ID to sit at the centre of next-generation public services, enabling more efficient interactions with the state and supporting broader economic innovation. Proposed uses include right to work verification and access to a range of public services, though the health and education departments have carved out significant exceptions: the NHS will not be integrated, and the scheme will not be used to allocate special educational needs funding.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially announced compulsory digital ID plans in 2025, but the government reversed course in January 2026, removing any legal obligation to obtain or carry the ID. Workers will retain the option to prove right to work through alternative means such as passport scans. The consultation document confirms this voluntary stance: there will be no requirement for people to present the digital ID.
Jones said the consultation was designed to hear from voices beyond those already engaged in the debate. “Public trust in the state has been declining for years, whoever has been in power,” he said. “We’re deliberately going out to seek the views of ordinary people from all walks of life and from right across the country.”
The system will build on existing government digital identity infrastructure, with a further consultation on detailed design and implementation expected later in 2026. Not all cabinet members are aligned: health secretary Wes Streeting has expressed scepticism about the scheme, and education secretary Bridget Phillipson has opted against digital ID integration in the SEND support system announced last month. The consultation process is in part designed to build the public legitimacy the government will need if the scheme is to move forward over those objections.
Sources: GOV.UK, The Guardian
–
By Ali Nassar-Smith
