IN THE NEWS
UK TO LAUNCH DIGITAL DRIVING LICENCE AND NEW
GOV.UK WALLET
The UK government is launching a
GOV.UK Wallet and App to simplify access to services and documents such as digital driver’s licences, alongside reforms to public sector technology to save £45 billion and drive efficiency and growth. A mobile driver’s licence will be one of the first digital documents in a
GOV.UK Wallet launched later this year and will ultimately allow people to prove their age from their phone in shops or online, the Science
Secretary Peter Kyle
announced. It comes alongside other new and improved ways for people to interact with government digitally, with an expansive blueprint for how the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which will now be home to a revamped Government Digital Service (GDS), will use digital tools and data to transform public services and help the taxpayer benefit from £45 billion in efficiency savings – essential to delivering our Plan for Change. The
GOV.UK Wallet will allow users to securely store government- issued documents on their phone and use them easily when needed. The technology will make use of security features that are built into modern smart phones, including facial recognition checks similar to those used when people pay using a digital bank card. It means that digital documents will be more secure, even if a device is lost. Digital documents held in the
GOV.UK Wallet, such as a driver’s licence or someone’s proof of
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delivering on the Plan for Change by making public services work for everyone. People using the
GOV.UK App will be able to quickly manage all of their government activity in one place.
benefits, will be able to be used just as physical documents are, if people choose to. It will be available on i.OS and Android, with a Digital Veteran Card to be made available to former service personnel later this year. A mobile driver’s licence will be piloted later in 2025, and all government services will have to offer a digital alternative alongside paper or card credentials by the end of 2027 under plans set out by the blueprint for digital govern- ment. The
GOV.UK Wallet is underpinned by
the security and identity
verification measures of
GOV.UK One Login, meaning users can be assured documents can only be accessed by the right person. Using a single sign on also means accessing government services will be much more
straight-
forward, saving individuals and businesses money and hours of frustration so they can focus on what matters. Transport Secretary,
Heidi
Alexander said: This is a game changer for the millions of people who use their driving licence as ID. The innovation puts power back in the hands of the people, making everyday interactions faster, easier, and more
secure. We are
When people first open the government’s new app this summer, they will be able to build a personalised homepage of the services most useful to them by answering a handful of simple questions – for example, if you own a car you can opt to see information about getting an MOT or applying for road tax – brought to them by a brand they already know and trust,
GOV.UK. With
GOV.UK One Login integrated into the app, people will be able to quickly confirm who they are so they can securely interact with services. In future, this will mean users can instantly cancel a stolen passport, find an apprenticeship or apply for benefits from the
GOV.UK App. Notifications will also provide people with instant and timely alerts, for example an update on the status of their application, or a new policy or service relevant to them – in a move that is expected to significantly cut down on the three million text messages sent by the government every day which comes with a significant cost to the public sector. The government’s generative AI chatbot,
GOV.UK Chat may in future be added to the app to help people find answers to complex and niche questions, where the relevant information could be spread over dozens of pages.
FEBRUARY 2025 PHTM
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