Digital right to work checks officially go live

The government’s right to work guidelines, calling on businesses to use digital ID to check their employees can legally work in the UK, have come into force.

While the guidelines were introduced on 6 April 2022, they officially came into effect on 1 October 2022. This means employers will only be able to hire new employees by using digital identity checks or meeting them face to face.

The government has created a digital identity trust framework with a range of digital identity service providers (IDSPs) businesses can choose from.

The first IDSP to be certified on the framework back in June 2022 were the Post Office and Yoti’s EasyID, but a further 15 IDSPs have now joined their ranks, including ID-Pal, HooYu, TrustID, Digital Identity Net UK, Paycasso Verify, ­Sterling, T4 Communications UK, Deloitte, Credas Technologies, Amiqus Resolution, Digidentity, CDD Services, GB Group, Marston Holdings and OCR Labs Global.

The IDSP framework can also be used for right to rent and DBS checks. The government’s guidance said that the digital checks will “help to support long-term, post-pandemic working practices, accelerate the recruitment and onboarding process, improve employee mobility and enhance the security and integrity of the checks”.

The guidance also said that the digital right to work checks are supporting the “digital identity and attributes trust framework continued development” of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) digital identity and attributes trust framework, which is currently in beta stage with no set launch date.

“While it will not be mandatory for employers and landlords to use a certified IDSP for the purposes of right-to-work and right-to-rent checks, the Home Office recommends employers and landlords use a certified IDSP,” the guidance said.