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UK backtracks on digital ID requirement for right to work. U-turn leaves questions on costs, funding, and benefits unanswered. The UK government has backed down from making digital ID mandatory for proof of a right to work in the country, adding to confusion over the scheme's cost and purpose. In September last year, the government said that from 2029, digital ID would be mandatory for proving a person's right to work in the UK, but voluntary in other cases. At the time, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It's as simple as that." However, the scheme will now become less focused on immigration and put more emphasis on access to public services across the population, according to reports. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander told BBC Radio 4's Today program: "The digital ID could be one way in which you prove your eligibility to work through a digital right-to-work check." She added that the government planned to operate a system of mandatory digital right-to-work checks. The latest climbdown was welcomed by campaigners but adds to the argument that the scheme – which might have cost as much as £1.8 billion – will fail to pay back the money invested in it. Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo said the scheme was intrusive, expensive and unnecessary. "The case for the government now dropping digital IDs entirely is overwhelming. Taxpayers should not be footing a £1.8 billion bill for a digital ID scheme that is frankly pointless. The proposal to make right-to-work checks digital could raise similar cybersecurity, fraud and privacy risks that digital IDs carry. The devil will be in the detail but this whole digital ID debacle smacks of incompetence," she said. As well as the scheme's purpose, questions remain about how it will be funded. Last year, minister for digital government and data Ian Murray said the technical delivery would be managed by the Government Digital Service (GDS), within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). However, other departments would have to contribute to the scheme as they adopt its use cases. He told a Parliamentary select committee: "The cost of the entire system will depend on what the system looks like. Digital inclusion, all the bits that are attached to digital ID, and also the use cases from other government departments in terms of both the cost of having the system, the cost of running the system, and the savings that are subsequently made from having a much more efficient system." Members of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee met this view with some skepticism, pointing out that cash-strapped departments might struggle to justify their contribution. The Register has contacted DSIT for a response. In a statement to the media, a government spokesperson said: "We are committed to mandatory digital right-to-work checks. We have always been clear that details on the digital ID scheme will be set out following a full public consultation which will launch shortly." "Digital ID will make everyday life easier for people, ensuring public services are more personal, joined up, and effective, while also remaining inclusive." The government is also developing related digital services that have yet to meet expectations, including the UK One Login system, a unified account system for accessing government services, replacing over 190 separate login systems.