Veterans will be able to apply for digital ID cards from today as the government tests its plans for the future of documentation.
While the scheme is distinct from the controversial mandatory checks around right to work, it is one step in Labour’s plan for all adults in the UK to have digital ID by 2027.
Ex-service members will have the option of applying for the digital card. This can then verify that they are a veteran and give them access to relevant services.
But what exactly do veterans get from the scheme and what does this mean for the next steps of digital ID plans?
Why are veterans getting digital ID?
Government minister Ian Murray has said the veteran digital ID system will be a ‘case study’ in a move that comes a month after the digital ID policy was announced.
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He suggested that the rollout across a ‘closed group like the 300,000 veterans’ would alleviate concerns about how the technology will work.
There is already a physical ID card for veterans in the UK, which will continue to be issued.
Founder of Veterans Can Garrath Williams told the Daily Express veterans may still want a physical card because they ‘like the idea that their Veteran ID card takes the spot where their military ID used to go’.
The Veteran ID Card currently allows people to verify their time in military service and access relevant support from the government, charities and local authorities. It is hoped that a digital version will make this easier.
What support do veterans get in the UK?
There are a variety of services, support and discounts that veteran ID may be used to gain access to, including:
- Free and discounted travel on Transport for London services
- Discounts at some shops and restaurants under the Defence Privilege Card
- Specialist support programmes run by Veterans UK
- Help finding affordable social housing under the Veterans’ Nomination Scheme
- Free career support from Operation ASCEND
- Automatic access to a Blue Badge for parking if they receive the War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
More information can be found on Citizens Advice.
How will it work?
Personal information will remain with the Ministry of Defence. The veteran will sign in to the card on their phone to verify a match with the database, according to the government.
The technology follows precedent from how payment cards are securely stored in an Apple or Google Wallet on someone’s mobile phone.
While the long-term plans for digital ID involve a compulsory rollout, this plan for veteran ID cards is optional. Those who served in the military can choose to sign up and download their ID cards.
At the rollout event held at the Tower of London, Veterans’ Minister Louise Sandher-Jones guided the Beefeaters how to download their new cards. The process reportedly went smoothly.
Where does the policy go now?
As a ‘case study’, the digital veterans ID card will test the work done by the Government Digital Service before other documents such as driving licences also go digital.
It is the first document in the One Login smartphone app. This government service checks that someone’s photo ID is real, they are a real person and their face matches photo ID by scanning with the phone camera.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: ‘The digital veterans’ card will help remove barriers, reduce red-tape and make it easier for people to access the public services they need.’
She said that this was all part of the government’s aims to ‘keep pace with the digital world we live in’.
But opposition to the scheme might not be convinced.
A petition against the introduction of digital IDs now sits at over 2.8million signatures after being set up on October 2.
The government replied that the scheme will be implemented in order to ‘tackle illegal migration, make accessing government services easier, and enable wider efficiencies’.
It is alleged by the petition that the policy is ‘a step towards mass surveillance and digital control’.
However, the government has said people will not be required to carry their ID around or be asked to produce it.
The veteran card is optional and minister Ian Murray said the only mandatory case would be ID for right to work. This was because ‘it’s mandatory already to be able to prove that you can work in the UK’.
On the policy aims behind digital ID, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure.
‘And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.’
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