Government U‑turns on Mandatory Digital ID Cards for Workers

The UK government has abandoned plans to make digital ID cards compulsory for workers, just months after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the measure as central to tackling illegal employment.

Sky News reports that digital IDs will no longer be required for the right to work by the end of this parliament, set for 2029. While right‑to‑work checks will remain mandatory, other forms of documentation such as passports and electronic visas will continue to be valid.

A government spokesperson said on Tuesday that officials remain committed to digital right‑to‑work checks, arguing that current paper‑based systems are vulnerable to fraud and abuse. They added that details of the scheme would be set out following a full public consultation.

The reversal marks the 13th U‑turn by the government. Conservatives accused Starmer of “spinelessness,” while Liberal Democrats said the plan was “doomed to failure” and urged that billions earmarked for the scheme be redirected to the NHS and frontline policing.

Starmer had previously insisted that “you will not be able to work in the UK if you don’t have a digital ID,” describing the policy as a way to secure borders and reduce illegal working.

The government now faces pressure to clarify how it will modernise right‑to‑work checks without imposing mandatory digital identification.