Digital Work Checks
In September 2025, the Government announced a plan to introduce a requirement for all workers to be able to produce a digital ID to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. The scheme is intended to combat illegal working. The Prime Minister confirmed that digital IDs will be mandatory as a means of proving the right to work, meaning that anyone who is unable to produce their digital ID will not be permitted to take up work. Employers are already under a legal obligation to carry out checks on prospective employees to establish their right to work in the UK and this can be done in several ways. Although there are other ways that the right to work can be demonstrated, usually the process involves checking a person's passport or undertaking an online check using a share code provided by the person. The scheme will be available, for free, to all UK citizens and legal residents. The new IDs will be entirely digital, sitting in a GOV.UK digital wallet that can be accessed via an individual’s smartphone. Other means of access will be developed for those without access to a smartphone. Although full details of the requirements are not
