Overview
- Ministers now plan to make the new government digital ID optional at its planned 2029 introduction, reversing the pledge to require it for workers.
- Right‑to‑work checks will still be mandatory in digital form, with alternative documents such as electronic visas or passports expected to be valid.
- No 10 says it remains committed to mandatory digital right‑to‑work checks, with the consultation to launch shortly and primary legislation still needed.
- The shift follows extensive public and parliamentary pressure, including a petition reported at nearly three million signatures and civil‑liberties concerns.
- Policy messaging remains contested as migration minister Mike Tapp rejected talk of scrapping, saying there will be mandatory digital checks for work.