From paper to plastic to phone – why Digital ID is just the next step that will make all our lives better and more secure.

This year marks (ahem) over 30 years since I passed my driving test. Back then your licence was a simple green sheet of paper. A few years later we all had to carry a photo card as well. By 2015 the paper licence was scrapped, and later this year digital driving licences will be available for the first time.

Today, 92% of us own a smartphone, and over half use Apple or Google Pay every day. We can already manage our NHS accounts online, check our bank balance through apps, and scan our supermarket cards at the till. We trust digital systems because they make life simpler and faster.

Now it’s time to bring that same convenience and security to how we prove who we are.

One area where digital ID will be especially important is proving the right to work. Just as you must have a valid licence to drive, you must be able to prove you’re legally entitled to work here. For too long, employers have relied on National Insurance numbers and paper documents – easy targets for fraudsters. A secure digital ID will make right-to-work checks instant, consistent, and much harder to fake.

That’s good news for everyone: honest employers, genuine workers, and taxpayers. Illegal working and the tax avoidance linked to it costs the country millions every year in lost revenue. Just as importantly, it leaves vulnerable people exposed to exploitation by those who take advantage of weaknesses in the current system. Proof of the right to work is already a legal requirement, and digital ID is simply the next practical step – applying only to those in employment. I want to be absolutely clear on this point – that this will only be compulsory for those in work. But in time, there will be opportunities for people to opt in to the other potential benefits it has to offer.

A properly designed digital ID will make it harder for scammers to impersonate others or claim benefits they’re not entitled to. It will make public services more accessible and tax systems more efficient – cutting waste and making sure help reaches those who truly need it.

If you’re reading this on Facebook or scrolling through social media, you are sharing more personal data with private companies – thousands of miles away – than the government would ever be able to access through a digital ID. This isn’t about surveillance, it’s about putting you in control. And just like no one can stop you on the street and demand to see your driving licence, no one will be able to demand to see your digital ID either.

This isn’t change for its own sake. It’s about protecting people’s identities, cutting red tape, and helping Britain work better for everyone.