UK government reveals mDL pilot, Gov.uk digital wallet plans

A Gov.uk digital wallet and app will be introduced this year to ease access to pubic services for British residents, according to an announcement confirming the planned launch of digital driver’s licenses.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) says the digital licenses, referred to later in the same announcement as “mobile driver’s licenses” (mDLs), will be made available later this year, along with digitized Veteran Cards.

The government plans for the digital wallet to hold various ID cards, as well as Disclosure and Barring Service checks and all other government-issued credentials, by the close of 2027.

“We’re really pleased to see the UK government giving individuals easier ways to prove their ID using verified driving licence details with the potential to store other government issued documents and entitlements,” says Yoti Co-founder and CEO Robin Tombs in a statement emailed to Biometric Update. “We’re also excited to see the government clarifying their vision that UK citizens should be able to use reusable digital IDs on a wider basis face to face and online.”

Tombs notes the similarity between the UK’s plan and those in places like Europe and Australia where people can choose between a government or private sector-provided digital ID.

Science Secretary Peter Kyle says the move consigns piles of paper letter from the government and hours waiting on hold to get an appointment for a government service to the past, “along with CDs, the Walkman and flip phones.”

He goes on to suggest that the new mDL, digital wallet and app will ease both public and private services.

“For people who choose to use GOV.UK Wallet, they will find it easier to prove they’re entitled to benefits or check their age when buying alcohol or DIY equipment, with more security and trust than ever before.”

Age assurance applies mostly to interactions with the private sector, and is one of the key market areas outlined in the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF), which around 50 identity providers have invested million of pounds to be certified against.

“Yoti is excited that many millions of citizens will now be able to choose to prove age or ID with either the Gov.uk wallet or an alternative government certified reusable digital ID wallets such as Yoti,” says Tombs.

The Gov.uk wallet will be available for iOS and Android. The mDL will and other digital ID documents will have the same legal status as their physical equivalents. The mDL will be piloted during 2025, according to the announcement.

The delivery of digital ID credentials will be immediate, DSIT says, and the wallet will be “underpinned by the security and identity verification measures of GOV.UK One Login, meaning users can be assured documents can only be accessed by the right person.”

Gov.uk One Login will be integrated with the app, which may eventually also get a built-in chatbot. Users can specify the public services they interact with most to access them immediately after opening the app. The app will provide status updates on applications made by the user and notifications of new services or policy changes that seem likely to impact them.

Broader digital government overhaul

The UK has also introduced “A blueprint for modern digital government,” which sets out a wide-ranging plan to adopt AI, automate processes and bring services to people, “not the other way around.”

Public satisfaction with UK public services has declined from 79 percent to 68 percent in the last ten years, according to the “State of digital government review.”

A six-point plan for government digital reform includes linking public sector services with each other, putting AI in a “harness” for public benefit, expanding digital public infrastructure and data tools, investing in IT leadership and talent, reforming the current funding model to free up cash for investments and procurement and realizing accountability through transparency.

New AI tools the government plans to do more with include “Humphrey,” a package of applications for searching prior consultations, transcribing meetings, and performing other functions intended to make the work of civil servants more efficient.

A Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence will be set up to help connect startups and innovative businesses with opportunities for government contracts.

The Gov.uk app and digital wallet are included on a list of “kickstarters to kick things off.” The government also plans to use the Gov.uk system to “Establish a ‘once only’ rule, so that if people have provided information to one service, it can be reused by others with appropriate safeguards.”

Gov.uk has already been integrated with more than 50 government services, for authentication and identity proofing, the announcement states.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is in charge of implementing the changes, and a Government Chief Digital Officer will be established to lead the expanded unit.

Article Topics

Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT)  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  Gov.UK  |  GOV.UK Wallet  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  reusable digital ID  |  UK  |  UK digital ID  |  Yoti