Government Announce Digital ID Cards for Armed Forces Veterans – and Admit it is a Dry Run for Keir Starmer’s Full Digital ID card Scheme
By ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
Veterans are to be offered new digital cards in the first scheme of its kind which could serve as a ‘case study’ ahead of a proposed government role out of mandatory online IDs for every UK citizen.
Those who have served in the armed forces are able to download a digital version of their HM Armed Forces Veteran Card through a government app from today.
The new digital format is designed to give ex-military members fast and secure proof of service to help them access specialist support when registering with a GP, applying for housing support, or to prove service for veteran discounts and concessions.
It is optional for all veterans and is being rolled out alongside the pre-existing physical card, which was first launched in 2018.
Some 1.8 million people in the UK are eligible for the scheme, with personnel only having to have served for one day in the forces to apply. Around 300,000 veterans currently have a HM Armed Forces card.
Ian Murray, minister for digital government, said that the rollout of digital cards for veterans could demonstrate to the public how the credentials work and put to bed some of their fears over security.
The Labour MP for Edinburgh South said: ‘(It’s) probably a demonstration to the public by default, in that sense, on the basis that this is the first use case for having a digital credential on your smartphone,
and that digital credential is the first sort of verifiable one that government have now launched.
‘So using a closed group like the 300,000 veterans [who already have a veterans card] is a really good case study to show that it does work.
Veterans are to be offered new digital cards in the first scheme of its kind which could serve as a ‘case study’ ahead of a proposed government role out of mandatory online IDs, DSIT minister Ian Murray has said
Around 300,000 out of 1.8 million eligible veterans currently have a physical veteran ID card
‘And it will be very beneficial, it shows the technology works, that shows that we can prove and dispense with some of those legitimate concerns around privacy and security and those kinds of issues.’
But he said that the main purpose of the veteran card is to help former members of the armed forces access Government services and benefits.
‘The launch of this card is about making the lives of veterans easier, to access government services and the benefits of that card, rather than being about demonstrating the much wider issues that you talk about… in terms of digital ID,’ he said.
The digital veteran card is the first-ever online identification document issued by the British government, and is coming into force in time for Remembrance Day next month.
Available via the government’s new GOV.UK One Login app, the card will be instantly downloadable upon approval, saving veterans from having to wait weeks for a physical copy to be manufactured and posted.
They will then be able to use it to prove they are eligible for targeted support systems, such as mental and physical health schemes.
Mr Murray has reassured veterans that the card, which contains personal data including name, date of birth and the branch of the armed forces they have served in, is secure.
He told the Mail safety and data protection were ‘at the heart’ of the scheme, pointing out that physical cards can be lost, stolen or defaced.
‘Having it on [a veteran’s] smartphone in this way means that they’ve got instant access to it, they can get it much quicker, and they can use it for verification purposes for anything they want to access,’ he said.
‘Of course, there’s a read across to digital ID, and it’s about that safety and security, but the key thing in terms of having that on your phone, is you go through the UK One login app.
‘There’s no data that transfers hands. What then happens, the app asks the MOD – who holds the data – is this person a veteran, and all that comes back is yes or no.’
The card will not be available to be added to an individual device’s wallet, instead needing to be accessed via the app after inputting a passcode or using face or fingerprint ID.
Keir Starmer faced a furious backlash over ‘dystopian’ plans to force millions of adults to sign up for a digital ID card when he announced the plan last month
Original mock-up by the Tony Blair Institute – edited version, using Keir Starmer’s face, produced by the Mail
Individuals’ use of the card will not be tracked and no new database to hold veterans’ personal data is being created.
The move marks a major step in delivering the government’s ‘Blueprint for Modern Digital Government and Plan for Change’, aimed at making public services simpler, faster, and more accessible.
On what would be deemed a success for the scheme, Mr Murray said he hoped more of the UK’s veteran community would sign up for either a physical or digital card.
‘There are 1.8 million veterans in the UK, and this government really values veterans and wants to make their post-armed forces lives as easy as possible,’ he told the Mail.
‘You can have both, but it’s not a compulsory system. I would really like to just get those 1.3 million people who don’t have a veteran’s card much easier access to it.
‘Some veterans don’t know they can have it, they don’t know the value of it, and they don’t know it’s available to them. So hopefully this will mean that more veterans will know they can have this card.’
The announcement comes after criticism of the government’s proposed mandatory digital ID cards it hopes to introduce to crack down on migrants working illegally in Britain.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made the announcement last month, insisting the cards would mean anyone without the right to work in the UK would not be able to find a job.
He said they would also make it easier for the public to access services they are entitled to and reduce benefit fraud and mistakes in welfare schemes.
The cards are expected to be required for ‘right to work’ checks by the end of this Parliament in 2029.
But concerns have been raised over privacy and security, with some experts worrying whether the cards will provide a new target for cyberattacks.
Mr Murray told the Mail that having a digital ID card will not be compulsory: ‘The key thing here, in terms of the whole digital ID policy from government, is that there’ll be no compulsion for you to either have a card, a digital ID. There’ll be no compulsion to show your digital ID.
‘The only use case that’ll be mandatory is what’s currently mandatory, for your ability to prove that you’ve got the right to work in the UK.’
The Conservatives, Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats have all indicated they would not support the introduction of mandatory ID cards.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, said: ‘Our veterans have given everything by serving for their country and it is only right that we give them all the support they need.
‘As we deliver national renewal we are modernising our public services so they work around people’s lives and keep pace with the digital world we live in.
‘The digital veterans’ card will help remove barriers, reduce red-tape and make it easier for people to access the public services they need.’
Minister for Veterans and People, Louise Sandher-Jones said: ‘Our veterans have given so much in service to our country, and we must ensure they can easily access the support and recognition they are entitled to and deserve.
‘This digital Veteran Card removes barriers and puts convenience back in their hands – whether they’re registering with a new GP, seeking housing support, or simply getting a discount at their local museum.
‘With 1.8 million veterans across the UK now able to benefit from this innovation, we’re making good on our commitment to modernise services for our veteran community.’
Original source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15197631/Government-digital-ID-cards-armed-forces-veterans-dry-run.html