- In polling released today by TBI and Yonder, 62% of Britons
are revealed to be in favour of introducing digital ID, with
cross-party support for a wide range of functions.
- Polling for new TBI paper ‘Time for Digital ID' shows public
favour use-cases beyond combatting illegal immigration, making a
strong case for a digital ID ‘superapp' joining up public
services, from tracking applications to reporting missed bin
collections or potholes.
- Research shows more than three quarters of respondents have
experienced routine government engagements that should have been
simple but instead felt unnecessarily inconvenient.
A consensus is emerging across the political spectrum for digital
ID to improve public services, according to new polling from the
Institute (TBI) – meaning its
delivery is no longer a question of “if” but rather “when” and
“how”.
For new paper ‘Time for Digital ID: A New Consensus for a State
That Works', TBI and Yonder conducted polling across the UK on
citizens' attitudes towards digital ID across a range of
categories, including political outlook and voting behaviour.
The polling shows that 62% of the public support digital ID as of
June 2025 – a marked increase from 54% in the Institute's last
survey in March 2024 – with only 19% opposed. This support is
seen across the political spectrum, with only a minority of
voters for all major parties against it.
The political debate of recent weeks has highlighted digital ID's
potential to disrupt small boat crossings and illegal migration.
Critically, TBI's new polling shows broad support for a wider
application of the technology to improve public services
including healthcare, taxation, and council services.
The new research shows widespread dissatisfaction with
bureaucracy, with more than three-quarters of people saying a
routine government engagement that should have been simple
instead felt unnecessarily inconvenient in the past year.
To counteract this, the polling found that voters want a digital
ID that goes far beyond right-to-work or right-to-rent checks.
Three quarters of respondents say that they would want the
ability to digitally track the progress of their applications for
government services, while over two thirds would want to receive
official notifications and vote or register to vote through a
single app.
Across the use cases tested, civic engagement and proof of
identity were the most popular functions overall, while practical
everyday services won support even among sceptics. Even people in
segments more resistant to digital ID still backed features like
reporting fly-tipping, potholes, and missed bin collections or
viewing personal records through a government app.
The Institute argues this presents a clear case for a digital ID
‘superapp' that would consolidate public interactions into one,
easy-to-use interface.
Commenting on the findings, Alexander Iosad, Director of
Government Innovation at TBI, said:
“Today's polling reveals an emerging consensus on digital ID. The
value is clear, the public's backing is clear; the government
must now deliver it.
“While helping to tackle illegal migration is a vital use case,
we must get a digital ID that does more. After years of decline
in public services, Britons are looking for common-sense
solutions to make the state work for them. They don't want to
spend hours navigating opaque systems or wrangling paperwork just
to get the services they are entitled to.
“Digital ID will dramatically simplify your experience of
government. It will mean that reporting issues, applying for
benefits, sorting your tax code, or booking appointments, are all
done in a few taps, or even automatically, not in hours, days, or
weeks. It is a crucial foundation for a new model of services
that come to you, when you need them, based on fairness, control
and convenience.”
For example, in the case of child benefit, as soon as a birth is
registered, the parents' digital IDs would be updated with the
newborn's name, NHS number and other information. For parents who
earn less than the threshold, a message would pop up in the app
to tell them they are pre-approved for child benefit. A few quick
questions would be asked to decide who receives it and what bank
account to use, and the first payment would be made, without the
need to make a separate claim. As the child's circumstances
change, the app would keep up with updates and payments would be
adjusted automatically.
Alexander concluded:
“Through a single, bureaucracy-free interface, digital ID can be
the backbone of a new model of public services that are
personalised, always-on, and data-driven. This is what disruptive
delivery looks like in action.
“It's not a silver bullet – it's just common sense, and it's what
Britain deserves.”
---ENDS---
Notes to editors
- Commissioned by TBI, Yonder interviewed 2,014 UK adults
between 23 and 24 June 2025.
- Polling covered the whole of the UK and data were weighted to
be representative of the whole population.
