Former members of the military will be able to start applying for a digital version of their identity cards from Friday.
About 1.8 million veterans are eligible to download the new digital ID to a smartphone – with ministers saying the rollout can serve as a “case study” to show the public how the technology for a planned scheme for all British citizens and residents will work.
Physical veterans’ cards will continue to be issued, but the digital version will allow holders to prove their status more easily to access to public services, the government says.
Digital government minister Ian Murray said the veterans’ digital ID could also help address “legitimate concerns around privacy and security” of the UK-wide scheme.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the plans for the wider scheme last month as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal working. It will be introduced by 2029 and mandatory in order to work.
The digital veteran card is optional but the government says it will allow former service personnel to show their entitlement to services such as GP and mental health support, supported housing, careers advice as well as reduced entry prices at museums and money off their shopping.
Murray said the veterans ID was “probably a demonstration to the public by default… 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”.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “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.”
The digital veteran card will be the first document to be stored in the government’s One Login smartphone app, with digital driving licences set to follow at a later date.
