In January, the government announced that they will be launching a Gov.Uk Wallet and application, in order to ‘simply access to services and documents like digital driving licenses, alongside reforms to public sector technology’. According to Gov.Uk, this digital wallet should be arriving this summer.
Whilst using the Digital Wallet is not mandatory, and paper copies of documents will continue to be issued, the Government hopes that consolidating forms of ID will make it easier for individuals to prove their identity to services and organisations, as well as decrease costs for replacing lost or damaged documents.
For those purchasing age restricted products, instead of proving your age by showing a driving license and also showing your name and address, those who use the Digital Wallet will be able to show a screen that proves their age only. This will ensure that you're not sharing additional information with those who don’t need it.
Users will be able to authorise certified digital verification services so that they can access information in the Digital Wallet, hopefully making proving your identity easier across a range of services.
The Digital Wallet, and the Gov.Uk One Login
Over the past few years, the Government has been integrating the Gov.Uk One Login for authentication and identity proving. One Login is designed to centralise a range of different government services, so that individuals only ever need to use a single login.
Currently individuals use One Login to access over 50 services, including applying for teacher training, cancelling a lost or stolen passport, claiming compensation if you’re the victim of a violent crime, and finding and updating company information.
With One Login, once you’ve proved your identity (currently proved using the Gov.Uk ID Check app, answering security questions online or in person at a Post Office), you don’t need to prove your identity again for the next service that you might need to access.
With the introduction of the Government’s Digital Wallet, users will eventually be able to login to government services using One Login, and also access all of their ID documents. Whether you’re applying for a passport, or requesting a DBS check, certified digital verification services will be able to check your identity easily, streamlining the process and eradicating the need to scan and post copies of your ID.
What about security concerns?
Fraud is ‘the most prevalent type of crime in the UK, accounting for over 40% of offences in England and Wales, according to figures from the National Crime Agency.’
The Fraudscape report from Cifas states that ‘421,000 cases were filed to the National Fraud Database (NFD) in 2024 - a 13% increase and the highest number on record’. Whilst UK organisations have prevented £2.1 billion in fraud losses, Cifas stated that ‘the threat from this fraud type is amplified by the use of AI and generative technologies, enabling criminals to take advantage of people at speed and scale.’
As such, it’s not a surprise that many people are concerned about how secure the Government’s Digital Wallet will be, and whether their information and ID documents will be stored safely.
Writing in response to the security concerns, the Guardian reported that, ‘Officials insist the app and wallet will be highly secure, using security features that are built into modern smartphones, including facial recognition checks similar to those used when people pay using a digital bank card. That would mean there would be no central database of the documents held on the wallet and any hackers would have to break into individual phones.’
When will the Government Digital Wallet be launched?
The Digital Wallet will launch sometime over the next few months. Driving Licenses and Veteran Cards will be among the first forms of ID to be added to the app.
