Digital driving licenses will be introduced later this year under plans to use technology to “reform” public services.
The licenses will be available on a new government mobile app and will be accepted as a form of identification for purchasing prohibited items such as alcohol and voting in elections, as well as proving someone’s right to drive.
Veterans cards will also be available on the GOV.UK Wallet app when it launches this summer, with DBS checks, blue badges and other government-issued credentials to be released later.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle The app “will mean that every letter or identity document you receive from the government can be issued to you virtually,” he said.
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The changes follow a report that found public services have lost £45 billion in productivity savings due to outdated technology.
The app also aims to make it easier to use government services, such as applying for child care and benefits, finding vocational training or reporting a lost passport.
Other features will include notifications on policy announcements and new services, while an AI chatbot may be added in the future to help people find answers to “complex and specialist questions”, the government said.
Physical documents will still be available, but the aim is for all government services to offer a digital alternative by the end of 2027.
The government said digital documents would take advantage of built-in technology in smartphones, such as facial recognition, so “they will be more secure, even if the device is lost.”
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Kyle added: “Along with CDs, Walkmans and flip phones, the drawer full of letters from the government and the hours spent waiting for an essential appointment will soon be consigned to history.
“GOV.UK Wallet means that every letter or identity document you receive from the government can be issued to you virtually.
“For people who choose to use GOV.UK Wallet, they will find it easier to prove their eligibility for benefits or verify their age when purchasing alcohol or DIY equipment, with more security and confidence than ever before.”
Several countries have already introduced digital licenses, including Australia, Denmark, Iceland and Norway, as well as some US states.
In the European Union, every member state will be required to offer at least one form of digital ID by 2026.
Advertising stopped before Compulsory national identification cardsThis was also called for by former Labor Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair and former Conservative Party leader Lord William Hague.
The pair have previously teamed up to demand a new identity card that includes details such as passport, driving licence, tax records, qualifications and right-to-work status, which can be stored on a mobile phone.
Sir Tony tried to introduce such a scheme when he was in power but it was scrapped by the coalition government.
He argued that this could save the Treasury £2bn a year in the long term and help control immigration, but the idea was quickly implemented. Unlikely The Labor Party after its victory in the general elections that took place in July.
Opponents of ID cards have raised concerns about privacy and what they see as unnecessary data collection by the state.