UK Drops Requirement to Hold a New Digital ID for Employment

The UK government dropped plans to require workers to sign up for a new digital ID, the BBC first reported on 13 January 2026. Ministers still intended to make right-to-work checks digital by 2029, using options including biometric passports. The reversal followed falling public support and a petition signed by nearly three million people. The government separated compulsory digital employment checks from compulsory enrolment in its new identity scheme.