Open consultation: Making public services work for you with your digital identity
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Summary This consultation seeks views on a proposed national
digital ID system for British and Irish citizens and foreign
nationals with permission to be in the UK. This consultation closes
at 12:30pm on 5 May 2026 Consultation description Why we're
consulting The government intends to introduce a national digital
ID (identity document) system. This will sit at the heart of
next-generation digital public services in the UK and support
innovation in the wider...Request free
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Summary
This consultation seeks views on a proposed national digital ID system for British and Irish citizens and foreign nationals with permission to be in the UK.
This consultation closes at Consultation description Why we're consulting The government intends to introduce a national digital ID (identity document) system. This will sit at the heart of next-generation digital public services in the UK and support innovation in the wider economy. It will help unlock entirely new ways to offer goods and services, and be key to making people's interactions with the state as efficient and useful as those they are accustomed to in the private sector, like online banking. Background We propose that three core principles will guide the design of the new digital ID. It must be:
We want people in the UK to shape the system and how it will work to ensure these objectives can be achieved. This is why we are running a wide-reaching and inclusive consultation to gather views and bring people together for discussion and debate, ultimately informing our future design choices. To deliver the new system in the most cost-effective way possible, we will be expanding on existing government systems which are already successfully proving and verifying people's identities. We are designing the new digital ID as something people will want to get, rather than something they must have. There will be no legal obligation for people to have or present the digital ID. What we're consulting on This consultation is structured as follows:
Who we want to hear from A national digital ID system is vital public infrastructure for the digital age. We want to draw on the expertise and wisdom of a wide range of stakeholders, from businesses to trade unions, technologists and civil society, as well as leaders in the public and private sectors who can use the digital ID to improve services for people in the UK. Key design decisions will only be taken after this consultation, to build the best possible product for everyone. We are grateful to everyone who takes the time to participate. What happens next This consultation will close on 5 May. Following this initial 8-week consultation period, we will be running a ‘People's Panel for Digital ID' – an in-depth deliberative engagement process with a broadly UK representative sample of 100-120 individuals to discuss the policy in detail. Individuals will be selected through sortition (civic lottery). This process will conclude on 21 June, which will be the end of the formal consultation process. Views shared in both these stages will be carefully considered by the government to develop next steps for the digital ID system. A formal government response to the consultation will be published once all stages of the consultation have concluded and all responses have been properly considered. Have your say The survey will take 20-40 minutes depending on how detailed your response is, you will be able to choose which topics you are interested in answering questions on. Documents Making public services work for you with your digital identity Making public services work for you with your digital identity: Privacy notice Making public services work for you with your digital identity: Privacy notice for children Ways to respond or Email to: consultation@digitalid.cabinetoffice.gov.uk Write to:
c/o Digital ID |