King's Speech 2026: Digital Access to Services Bill

Wednesday, 13 May 2026 12:19

“My Ministers will also proceed with the introduction of Digital ID that will modernise how citizens interact with public services” The Government is renewing Britain with accessible public services that work for citizens, and come together on the GOV.UK app. The app will become the front door to accessing public services - as with online banking or shopping apps - with the Digital ID system ...Request free trial

“My Ministers will also proceed with the introduction of Digital ID that will modernise how citizens interact with public services”

The Government is renewing Britain with accessible public services that work for citizens, and come together on the GOV.UK app. The app will become the front door to accessing public services - as with online banking or shopping apps - with the Digital ID system at its foundation.

Digital ID will be free to access for anyone who wishes to use it, providing people with a trusted, useful, and secure proof of identity for use across public services and the wider economy, without needing to carry around physical documents that can be lost, forged or stolen. Whether picking up a parcel or accessing public services like free childcare, or proving your right to work, it will give people greater control over their data, with a safe and simple way to decide who gets to see their details when using their Digital ID.

With inclusion at the core of its design and delivery, the national Digital ID will be a necessary foundation for tackling the exclusion of those who cannot access traditional forms of ID like a passport or driving license. By providing a free to access, trusted proof of identity, this is an opportunity to empower those who often lack the time, connections, and resources to navigate confusing and time-consuming checks, forms, rooms, and front-desks.

What does the Bill do?

Too often, accessing public services and proving identity in the UK can be frustrating, inefficient, and insecure. Digital ID moves away from the annoyance of endless telephone calls, complicated printed forms, and the need to tell your story multiple times to different parts of the Government, with hours on hold and not knowing where you are in the process. Modern, digital public services will make everyday interactions easier, free up traditional routes for those who need them, and save the taxpayer money.

Digital ID aims to tackle these problems head-on. It will:

Be a convenient way for people to prove who they are. The public will have the option to use Digital ID to prove who they are quickly and easily across public sector services and the wider economy. Existing

routes will remain available for those who prefer to access services that way.

Use the latest security technology and put people more in control of their data. Unlike physical documents that expose name, address, and date of birth all at once, Digital ID will share only the specific information required.

Reduce bureaucracy and help the Government to build the intuitive, efficient, and responsive public services the UK deserves. A national Digital ID system is key to enabling streamlined, digital, public service provision. It will support the join-up of public services, saving time and taxpayers' money.

The Bill will:

Establish the legal framework for the Government to create, issue and use Digital ID.

Set out the information the Digital ID credential will contain, and provide for how it can be issued, maintained, stored, and verified, as well as eligibility requirements.

Include provisions to create and maintain the Digital ID credential, enable its use, and aid public sector join-up, alongside appropriate safeguards.

Include provisions to enable the use of Digital ID in priority areas across the public and wider economy, as well as establishing an audit function for Digital Right to Work checks.

One of the first use cases for the Digital ID will be for Digital Right to Work Checks by the end of this Parliament, creating a more secure, efficient and reliable system, while acting as a deterrent to illegal working. Digital ID will be one way to verify your right to work digitally, along with other forms such as a digital check of documents like your passport or eVisa. Digital checking services will be supplied by a private provider that meets Government standards.

Territorial extent and application

The majority of the measures will extend and apply to the whole of the UK.

Key facts

Around 15 per cent of households with income under £5,000 a year had no photo identification in 2024. Providing a free to access Digital ID will help ensure that for all households, affordability of ID is not a barrier to accessing public services.

Digital IDs increase efficiency in public services, delivering better value for money for the taxpayer. The DVLA currently processes 45,000 letters a day, and HMRC handles 100,000 phone calls a day. Digital ID is about reducing this bureaucracy, which will deliver savings across public services in the UK.
Identity fraud is estimated to cost households £1.8 billion per annum. The Digital ID will help tackle this by making it harder for criminals to misuse identities that do not belong to them.
11 per cent of employers said their employees find it difficult to supply the right documents for right to work checks. We expect that the introduction of the Digital ID will support easier compliance with the existing right to work scheme.
In Estonia, digital signatures - which are enabled by the Digital ID system

- are estimated to save the nation 2 per cent of its entire economic output annually. In Australia, people can use their Digital ID to access over 246 government services.

In 2024, an organised criminal gang was convicted of falsely claiming £54 million of Universal Credit through using stolen identities and faked documents. The Digital ID will make it harder for criminals to claim benefits using stolen identities.
A mature infrastructure for the trusted creation and use of digital identities already exists, rooted in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, and the UK digital verification services (DVS) framework. The Government will build on the strong foundations this infrastructure has put in place to accelerate adoption of the national Digital ID and support the acceptance of digital identities across the economy.
The private DVS Sector generated £2.1 billion in annual revenue in 2023-

24. The Government expects that the existing market of trusted DVS providers will play an important role in supporting consumer choice and sharing information from the Digital ID into the wider economy.