UK Announces Voluntary Digital ID System

King Charles III announced during the state opening of Parliament on May 13, 2026, that the UK government will introduce a voluntary digital identity system to modernize citizens' interactions with public services. The monarch delivered the traditional King's Speech, written by ministers, which included the Digital Access to Services Bill granting powers to create, issue, and verify national digital IDs through the GOV.UK app.

The system, described by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as free and optional, would allow users to store identity details securely on their phones, including proof of age, residency, and right-to-work status for most individuals except British and Irish passport holders. Government briefing notes highlight right-to-work verification as a priority use case by the end of the parliament in 2029. The digital profile would integrate sensitive data from HM Revenue and Customs income records, NHS health information, Department for Work and Pensions benefits, and Home Office immigration status.

Plans for a mandatory version, initially proposed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in September 2025, were abandoned in January 2026 amid widespread...