Digital driving licences will be introduced later this year under plans to use technology to “overhaul” public services.
The licences will be available on a new government mobile phone app and will be accepted as a form of ID for buying restricted items like alcohol and for voting in elections, as well as proving someone’s right to drive.
Veteran cards will also be available on the “GOV.UK Wallet” app when it launches this summer, with DBS checks, Blue Badges and other government-issued credentials to come later down the line.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle said the app “will mean that every letter or identity document you receive from the government could be issued to you virtually”.
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The changes follow a report which found that public services were missing out on £45bn in productivity savings because of old and outdated technology.
The app will also aim to make using government services easier, such as applying for childcare and benefits, finding an apprenticeship or reporting a lost passport.
Other features will include notifications on new policy and service announcements, while an AI chatbot may be added in the future to help people find answers to “complex and niche questions”, the government said.
Physical documents will still be available, but the aim is that all government services will have to offer a digital alternative by the end of 2027.
The digital documents will make use of technology built into smartphones, like facial recognition, so they “will be more secure, even if a device is lost”, the government said.
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Mr Kyle added: “Along with CDs, the Walkman and flip phones, the overflowing drawer rammed with letters from the government and hours spent on hold to get a basic appointment will soon be consigned to history.
“GOV.UK Wallet will mean that every letter or identity document you receive from the government could be issued to you virtually.
“For people who choose to use GOV.UK Wallet, they will find it easier to prove they’re entitled to benefits or check their age when buying alcohol or DIY equipment, with more security and trust than ever before.”
Several countries have already introduced digital licences, including Australia, Denmark, Iceland and Norway, as well as some US states.
In the EU, every member state will be required to introduce at least one form of digital ID by 2026.
The announcement stops short of compulsory national ID cards, as pushed for by former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair and former Tory leader Lord William Hague.
The pair have previously joined forces to call for a new ID incorporating details such as a passport, driving licence, tax records, qualifications and right-to-work status, which could be stored on a mobile phone.
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Sir Tony tried to introduce such a scheme when he was in power but it was scrapped by the coalition government.
He argued it could save the Treasury £2bn a year in the long run and help control migration, but the idea was swiftly ruled out by Labour after it won the general election in July.
Opponents of ID cards have raised concerns about privacy and what they see as unnecessary data collection by the state.
