No, there is no compulsory UK digital ID. The national digital ID scheme was scrapped in July 2026 by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and the government confirmed the cancellation in its response to the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee on 18 September 2026. But that is not the whole story: several digital identity tools that already existed, including GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK Wallet, are still running and still growing. This explainer sets out what was cancelled, what survived, and what it means for workers, employers and everyday life.

The confusion is understandable. For months the plan was presented as a single national credential that every adult would hold, then it was softened, then it was dropped altogether, while the surrounding systems carried on. The short version is that the card is gone and the machinery behind it is not.

What was the UK digital ID scheme?

The scheme was the plan championed by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a universal, government-issued digital identity credential, widely called the Brit Card. As originally proposed, it would have held a person's name, nationality, date of birth, residency status and photograph, and digital identity checks would have become compulsory for anyone starting a new job, as a way of making it harder for people without the right to work to find employment.

The plan was controversial from the start. A petition against it approached three million signatures, according to techUK, and the Office for Budget Responsibility had estimated the scheme would cost about £1.8 billion between 2026-27 and 2028-29. In October 2025 ministers had already softened the proposal, dropping the compulsory element, saying the scheme would be voluntary and confirming that existing documents such as passports could continue to be used to verify identity.

Why was the scheme scrapped?

Scrapping the national scheme was one of the first acts of the incoming prime minister in July 2026. The decision ended one specific proposal: a universal credential that every adult would have been expected to hold. As techUK put it in its analysis of 28 October 2026, for a policy that arrived with a great deal of noise, its exit was comparatively quiet.

The government's response of 18 September 2026, published after the Home Affairs Committee's report on the plans, confirmed that the national Digital ID programme would not proceed in the form previously proposed, including the plan to make digital right-to-work checks mandatory. The cancellation does not change employers' existing obligations to carry out prescribed right-to-work checks before employing someone.

What still exists after the cancellation?

The cancellation applies specifically to the national programme. Several separate digital identity initiatives that pre-date it continue under their existing arrangements. The table below summarises what was scrapped and what remains.

GOV.UK One Login is the largest surviving piece. It is the single sign-on and identity-verification layer the government has been rolling out across public services since 2022, and it remains fully active. Figures given to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee on 19 October 2026, and reported by Forbes, The Register and Computer Weekly, show One Login is now wired into 264 government services, with around 500 planned within two years, and more than 23 million people using it. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport told Forbes on 22 October that the number who have used it is now over 26 million. The same hearing was told the service generated £752 million in net benefits between April 2022 and August 2026, and that HMRC is now being onboarded.

The GOV.UK Wallet is being built on top of One Login. The digital Veteran Card is already available in the wallet, and a digital driving licence is in testing, with a national rollout targeted for 2027 and further testing planned for December 2026. More than 80 types of document are earmarked for the wallet, including proof of benefits entitlement, driving test certificates and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates. None of those documents on its own is a national identity card.

What does it mean for right-to-work checks?

Employers will not be required to use a national digital ID system for every right-to-work check, and the government will not require all employer right-to-work checks to be conducted digitally. Employers continue to use the existing prescribed checking methods, including online Home Office checks for people holding digital immigration status such as eVisa holders.

One change did take effect on 1 October 2026. From that date, an employer choosing to use a Digital Verification Service for a prescribed digital right-to-work check must use a provider certified against the statutory DVS framework and listed on the official DVS register, in order to establish a statutory excuse against civil penalties. The DVS framework continues to be developed by the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes. The eVisa system continues as the primary form of digital immigration status evidence, with support and alternative verification arrangements remaining available where users encounter technical difficulties.

What does it mean in everyday life?

For most people, the practical change is that digital versions of documents are arriving gradually rather than as one compulsory card. Since 15 September 2026, pubs, bars, restaurants, music venues and shops in England and Wales have been able to accept digital proof of age from an app on a phone when selling alcohol, through services certified against the government's trust framework. A digital driving licence, once rolled out, could be used to prove age in a pub, collect a parcel or verify identity online, but the physical photocard licence remains valid and drivers will not be required to switch.

Creating a One Login account follows Good Practice Guide 45, which sets out the evidence needed to establish an identity to a given level of confidence, typically a passport or a driving licence. TechUK notes that for the large majority of the population, in the region of 85%, One Login already works to prove who they are and reach government services.

What happens next?

There is, for now, no published digital identity strategy, no estimate of future costs and no timetable, according to evidence given by the DCMS permanent secretary to the Public Accounts Committee. A privacy impact assessment has been promised by the end of 2026. On 21 October the government laid a draft code of practice before Parliament on sharing public data with registered private verification services, and a sandbox for certified private firms to test wallet integration opened in October 2026. Any future expansion of digital identity requirements will be subject to consultation, impact assessment and parliamentary scrutiny, the government has said. Readers should check the official GOV.UK pages, as the position can change.

UK digital ID: frequently asked questions

Do I need a digital ID in the UK? No. There is no compulsory national digital ID, and no requirement to hold one has been introduced.

Can my employer demand a national digital ID? No. The plan to make digital right-to-work checks mandatory for every new job was cancelled with the national programme. Normal prescribed right-to-work checks still apply.

Is GOV.UK One Login compulsory? No. The government says One Login and the GOV.UK Wallet are voluntary, and existing ways of proving identity, such as a passport, continue to work.

Is a digital driving licence coming? A digital driving licence is in testing inside the GOV.UK Wallet, with a national rollout targeted for 2027. The physical photocard will remain valid.

Where can I check the current rules? The government's response to the Home Affairs Committee, published on 18 September 2026, and the GOV.UK One Login roadmap are the official sources. Rules change, so check the official page before relying on any summary, including this one.