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Benefits claimants will be able to use their phones to prove they’re eligible

Official documents, including driving licences and proof of eligibility for benefits, will be available on people’s phones later this year via a Government app

Benefit claimants and blue badge holders will be able to flash their phone to prove their eligibility through a new smartphone “wallet” launched by the government.

Official documents, including driving licences and veterans cards, will be available on people’s phones later this year via a Government app.

A mobile driver’s licence will be one of the first digital documents in a Gov.Uk Wallet launched by the end of this year.

Those claiming disability benefits – Personal Independence Payments (PIP) – will later be able to access letters with details of the eligibility from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Accessing proof of benefit allowances via an app will allow people to demonstrate that they are entitled to other support, such as free school meals for their children.

Proof of power of attorney and DBS checks will also eventually be accessible via the wallet, as well as the ability to apply for childcare and report a lost passport, the government said.

Eventually, ministers also want to allow people to upload a copy of their passport onto the wallet to be used for domestic purposes.

And this could mean, in the long term, people are able to use their digital passport to travel. This, however, would rely on international changes to travel requirements and is not being announced as part of these changes.

The wallet will operate the same way as existing smartphone wallets do, which allow users to access payment cards or passes with one click.

Existing security features that are built into phones, including facial recognition checks, will be part of the service to ensure documents are secure, even if a device is lost.

Science Secretary Peter Kyle said that by the end of 2027, the wallet will include documents like Veteran Cards, DBS checks and every other credential issued by the government.

Government will not be able to track use of the documents, to maintain privacy for users.

Officials are also looking at international standards to consider whether the wallet can be synced up with other similar digital services around the world.

Kyle said: “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.

“Crucially, it also opens huge opportunities to make interacting with public services much easier by putting people in control of their own data.

“We will be overhauling how the public sector uses technology which is essential to delivering our Plan for Change, and in combination with this new tech for people to use themselves, we are going to slash the time people waste dealing with annoying processes so they can focus on what matters to them.”

The wallet will be stored on the new Gov.uk app, due to be launched this summer.

The app will have One Login to allow people quick access to all their relevant government tools and notifications to provide alerts on the status of an application, or a new service relevant to them.

A generative AI chatbot used by the government may be added to the app to help people find answers.



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