Almost half of UK digital verification providers using biometrics offer an alternative route for people who do not want to provide biometric information, according to new government inclusion figures. The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes surveyed 44 providers with certified live services.
Eighty-nine percent of respondents used some form of biometric technology, down from 94 percent in 2025. Among that group, 49 percent offered a non-biometric alternative, and the same proportion held information on accuracy rates across demographic groups. The results cover provider responses collected in April and May under version 0.4 of the digital verification services trust framework.
The framework sets standards for identity and attribute verification, including governance, information security, privacy and user experience. Certified services submit inclusion monitoring information to help the government assess accessibility across the market. All providers with a certified live service at the time completed the survey, although respondent totals vary by question.
The survey found that 75 percent of providers reported meeting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 at level AA or higher. Those guidelines address the accessibility of web content for people with disabilities. Seventy-seven percent offered at least one accessibility tool, such as text magnification or compatibility with assistive technology, and 55 percent offered non-digital support through telephone or in-person channels.
Alternatives to conventional identity evidence were less common. Eighteen providers, representing 43 percent of responses to that question, accepted evidence other than photographic identity documents, including bank statements, electoral information or council tax records.
Three providers supported vouching, in which another person helps establish an individual’s identity. Fraud risk and reluctance among relying parties, the organizations accepting a verification result, were the most frequently cited barriers to wider adoption.
This is the third year the government has published inclusion monitoring results. The UK has since begun transitioning to trust framework version 1.0, under which inclusion monitoring extends to providers of all service types.
Cost was the most frequently cited challenge to improving inclusion, named by 61 percent of providers, up from 50 percent in 2025. Thirty-four percent cited lack of access to government-held data, down from 48 percent. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 includes a power allowing public authorities to share data with registered services under certain conditions, but that power has not yet commenced.
Sources: GOV.UK
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
