From Friday, former military personnel in the UK will be able to apply for a digital veteran card via a smartphone app, marking the first step in the government's broader digital ID initiative. The card, which provides proof of service and access to charities, retail discounts, and certain public services, will be available to approximately 1.8 million veterans.
The digital credential will be stored in the Gov.uk One Login app, which the government plans to rebrand as the Gov.uk Wallet as more official documents become available digitally. Digital driving licences are expected by the end of this year, and by 2027, all government-issued credentials, including disclosure and barring checks, will be offered for voluntary use.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to make digital ID mandatory for proving the right to work in the UK by the end of this parliament, a plan that has sparked cross-party opposition and a petition with 2.9 million signatures. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall dismissed concerns as 'scaremongering', insisting that digital IDs will not be used to track citizens and that private information will not be pooled into a central database.
The Royal British Legion welcomed the card as 'a positive development', but some veterans oppose it. Stephen Kent of Veterans Association UK said, 'We don’t need it. It’s not for what Labour says it’s for… A lot of veterans don’t like the idea of it [and that they] are using us as an experiment.'
The government says the credential will be encrypted and require biometric verification, making it safer than physical IDs. Each credential will remain with its issuer, with no central database of all ID data. Kendall ruled out location tracking, monitoring of spending habits, or police demands to produce the digital ID. Industry estimates suggest the system could cost about £1 billion to set up.
