Veterans are to be offered new digital cards in the first scheme of its kind, which could act as a ‘case study’ ahead of a proposed government rollout of mandatory online IDs for every UK citizen.
Starting today, veterans can use a government app to download a digital copy of their HM Armed Forces Veteran Card.
The new digital format is designed to give ex-military members fast and secure proof of service to enable them to access specialist support when registering with a GP, applying for housing support, or to confirm 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. About 300,000 veterans presently have an 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.
‘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.
In time for Remembrance Day next month, the digital veteran card—the first online identification document ever issued by the British government—will go into effect.
Available through the government’s new Gov.uk one login app, the card will be immediately downloadable upon approval, saving veterans from having to wait weeks for a physical document to be manufactured and dispatched.
They will then be able to use it to demonstrate they are eligible for targeted support systems, such as mental and physical health schemes.
Mr Murray has reassured veterans that the card, which includes personal data including name, date of birth and the branch of the armed forces they have served in, is secure.
He told the Mail that safety and data protection were ‘at the heart’ of the scheme, pointing out that physical cards can be misplaced, 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, it needs to be accessed via the app after inputting a passcode or using face or fingerprint ID.
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 significant step in delivering the government’s ‘Blueprint for Modern Digital Government and Plan for Change’, aimed at making public services easier, speedier, and more convenient.
On what would be considered a victory 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, which 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 employment.
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.
However, privacy and security issues have been brought up, with some experts questioning whether the cards would offer a new avenue for hackers.
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 Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, and the Conservatives have all said that they oppose the implementation of ID card requirements.
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.’
What I would like to know is who owns the technology and the app? Who will profit because no one wants this, and there’s no burning need for it, but Starmer is hell bent on pushing it through forcefully.
People have protested in London about migration, our government haven’t taken a blind bit of notice. Nearly three million people have protested about ID cards, again, not a blind bit of notice – what sort of government is this?
I vehemently disagree with the concept of ID cards, particularly for veterans of the armed forces.
The government dragged their heels for years, then some cards were issued, which did nothing other than give discounted coffees and similar.
This is just a vanity project and a waste of taxpayers’ money, and an attempt to monitor everyone. Our government tell us that it will help us access things more easily. However, we still won’t be able to get a doctor’s appointment, and hospitals will still have very long waiting lists, and can you imagine how veterans feel when they sit in their doctors’ waiting room that is full of potentially hostile individuals who would want to do them harm?
We need to keep saying NO to this absurd ID card because it might seem like a good idea right now, but perhaps people won’t think it’s such a good idea when this ID card can determine what you can spend out of your own bank account.
Keir Starmer, did you not see three million people telling you it was an unacceptable idea, which most people don’t want, especially the cost to the taxpayer? I’m sure His Majesty’s forces are wondering why they fought for you and other governments before you. Does Starmer not realise he’s making himself into a monster? Nobody wants him as Prime Minister anymore – it’s time to bail out and resign with some dignity intact.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 