The Government has confirmed that its national Digital ID programme has been cancelled and will not proceed in the form previously proposed. This includes the proposed requirement for employers to use digital ID for all right to work checks.
The Government’s response was published on 18 September 2026 following the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee’s report on the Government’s plans for digital ID.
The cancellation of the national programme does not, however, mean that the Government is moving away from digital identity or digital immigration status checks. Existing eVisa arrangements will continue, while work on Digital Verification Services (DVS), GOV.UK One Login, the GOV.UK Wallet and other government-issued digital credentials will continue separately.
Written by Beryl Gao, Legal Assistant
National Digital ID programme cancelled
The Government has confirmed that the national Digital ID programme considered by the Home Affairs Committee will not proceed.
As part of the proposed programme, the Government had considered making digital right to work checks mandatory. That proposal will also not be introduced.
Employers will therefore not be required to use a national Digital ID system for every right to work check.
The Government has stated that the cancellation applies specifically to the national Digital ID programme. Other digital identity initiatives that pre-date that programme will continue under their existing arrangements.
Right to work checks remain mandatory
The cancellation does not change employers’ existing obligations in relation to right to work checks.
Employers will continue to be required to conduct the prescribed right to work checks before employing individuals where such checks are required. The Government will not, however, require all employer right to work checks to be conducted digitally.
This means that the existing framework for right to work checks remains in place, rather than being replaced by a single mandatory digital system.
The Home Office is expected to issue updated guidance to employers as the new arrangements are implemented.
Digital Verification Services from 1 October 2026
Although a mandatory national Digital ID system will not be introduced, employers will still be able to use approved Digital Verification Services for prescribed digital right to work checks.
From 1 October 2026, an employer choosing to use a DVS for a prescribed digital right to work check will need to use a service that:
- is certified against the relevant DVS Trust Framework;
- meets the supplementary code for digital right to work checks; and
- appears on the statutory DVS register as an approved service.
These requirements are relevant to an employer seeking to obtain a statutory excuse through the digital checking process. Employers will not be required to choose the digital route simply because approved DVS providers are available.
The Government has stated that the DVS framework will continue to be developed and maintained by the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA).
Existing eVisa arrangements will continue
The cancellation of the national Digital ID programme does not affect the existing eVisa system.
The Government has confirmed that eVisas will continue to provide digital evidence of immigration status. The proposal to incorporate eVisas into the national Digital ID programme no longer arises because that programme has been cancelled.
Individuals who use the Home Office online service to demonstrate their immigration status will therefore continue to use the existing arrangements, including where their status is evidenced through an eVisa.
The Government has also stated that digital status checks are already widely used and that support and alternative arrangements remain available for individuals who experience problems with their digital status.
Continued development of digital identity
The cancellation of the national Digital ID programme should not be understood as a reversal of the Government’s wider move towards digital identity.
The Government has confirmed that a number of separate initiatives will continue, including:
- the statutory Digital Verification Services regime;
- GOV.UK One Login;
- the GOV.UK Wallet; and
- government-issued digital credentials.
These initiatives are separate from the cancelled national Digital ID programme and will continue to be developed under their respective arrangements.
The Government has also stated that any future proposals involving legislation or significant changes to digital identity will be subject to appropriate assessment, consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.
Immigration enforcement and right to work checks
The Government has confirmed that Immigration Enforcement will continue to take an intelligence-led approach to tackling illegal working.
It has also announced an additional £5 million investment in Immigration Enforcement to target, arrest, detain and return illegal workers. The Government intends to continue working with OfDIA and DVS providers to consider how information generated through digital right to work checks can be reported and used for enforcement purposes where this can be done lawfully and securely.
What this means in practice
The cancellation of the national Digital ID programme means that employers will not be required to move to a single mandatory digital system for all right to work checks.
At the same time, digital verification remains an important part of the UK’s immigration and employment compliance framework. Employers will continue to have a legal obligation to carry out the prescribed right to work checks, while those choosing to use a DVS for digital checks will need to ensure that the service they use satisfies the relevant statutory requirements from 1 October 2026.
For individuals, existing arrangements for demonstrating immigration status through the Home Office online service, including the use of eVisas, will remain in place.
The Government’s latest position therefore represents a change to the proposed national Digital ID programme, rather than an end to the UK’s wider development of digital immigration and identity systems.
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