Britons will have to continue relying on physically producing passports and utility bills to prove they are who they say they are for the foreseeable future. That is the implication of a study by the public sector watchdog of three decades of attempts to introduce digital identity systems. In a 'lessons learned' report on managing digital identity,  the National Audit Office concludes that any future initiative involving digital identity would face significant challenges in achieving value for money.’

It also warns that the government's existing plans for digital ID lack internationally recognised criteria for success.

In July, the government announced it would not go ahead with a planned 'digital ID card' on which it had consulted earlier this year. This was the latest plan by successive governments to introduce digital credentials for securely communicating with multiple government IT systems. The first such system, Government Gateway, went live in 2001. At its peak it offered a way into 227 public services, but was decommissioned in 2019. However Gateway logins are still used by HMRC.

The Gateway was accompanied by the Blair government’s national identity card scheme, cancelled by the coalition government on civil liberties grounds in 2010. Fewer than 15,000 cards were issued, the NAO notes. It was followed by Gov.uk Verify, under which commercial providers offered a single-sign on for citizens to deal with public bodies.   

Since 2021, Verify has been intended to be replaced by the Gov.UK One Login system. The NAO report states that plans for its use, including by third parties such as accountants 'remain unclear'. 

Gareth Davies, NAO head, said that despite the government's announcement that it will not be going ahead with its digital identity card, questions about how people can conveniently and securely prove who they are or something about themselves in a digital world remain relevant. 'Experience from other countries suggests digital identity works best when people find it useful and want to use it in their everyday lives, together with effective security and privacy protections.'

The report finds that: ‘Experience suggests that any future initiative involving digital identity would benefit from a clear plan and roadmap. Without these, there is a risk that disconnected solutions develop which fail to address the end-to-end challenge of connecting citizens’ data and services.’ 

Despite the UK's long experience ‘any future initiative involving digital identity would face significant challenges in achieving value for money’, the report concludes.