Government considers physical ID cards

The government could introduce physical ID cards alongside its digital identity scheme for those who struggle with technology.

The scheme, announced by prime minister Keir Starmer in September 2025, will introduce a digital ID for all UK citizens and legal residents. It will be compulsory for Right to Work checks by the end of the current Parliament, and includes name, date of birth, nationality and residency status information, and a photo.

The government will shortly launch a public consultation on how the digital ID scheme will be delivered, including options for those digitally excluded.

Answering a Parliamentary question from fellow Labour MP Gareth Snell on digital inclusion as part of the scheme, junior Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons said the government is already engaging with “expert organisations” on digital ID.

“At the heart of this will be the largest ever digital inclusion programme ever delivered in this country, to ensure everyone can access this new free ID and benefit from it,” he said. “We are considering options like a digitally enabled physical alternative for those without access to technology, as well as in-person onboarding support for those who struggle to engage digitally. This may include Post Offices but that decision has not yet been made and will depend on several different factors.”

Labour’s previous attempt to introduce physical ID cards in the UK, by the then prime minister Tony Blair, was consequently scrapped when a new government came into power after public uproar and protests over the scheme.

In October 2025, Cabinet Office took over responsibility for the digital identity programme, which was previously held by the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

In a ministerial statement, prime minister Keir Starmer said that to “deliver this cross-government priority”, the Cabinet Office will now be in charge of the scheme, “including policy, development, legislation and strategic oversight”.

Computer Weekly understands that the prime minister has trusted his chief secretary, Darren Jones, with the overall responsibility for the scheme, and a small Cabinet Office taskforce are leading on the programme.

While plans for a digital ID has previously been rejected by government, and did not feature in the Labour manifesto ahead of the election, there have been several campaigns and inroads into the possibility since Labour came into power, culminating in the prime minister announcing the scheme.

While it came as a surprise to many, as previously reported by Computer Weekly,  the announcement was the result of months of discussions that had been successfully kept quiet from their private sector partners and from the media.

The private sector has already been concerned that the government is squeezing private digital ID companies out of the market, as the government launched its Gov.uk Wallet programme without consulting the sector.

The announcement of a digital ID scheme did nothing to quell the fears of private identity service providers (IDSPs), and the public are not keen either. A petition called “do not introduce digital ID cards”, has nearly three million signatures so far, saying: “We think this would be a step towards mass surveillance and digital control, and that no one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system. We oppose the creation of any national ID system.”