GOV.UK Verify was an identity assurance system developed by the British Government Digital Service (GDS) which was in operation between May 2016 and April 2023.
The system was intended to provide a single trusted login across all British government digital services, verifying the user's identity in 15 minutes.
[1] It allowed users to choose one of several companies to verify their identity to a standard level of assurance before accessing 22 central government online services.
[10] After a further tender issued by the Cabinet Office in 2014,[11] Barclays, GB Group, Morpho and Royal Mail became certified companies.
In October 2018, GDS announced that five of the seven identity providers – Barclays, Digidentity, Experian, Post Office and SecureIdentity – had signed contracts for a further 18 months.
[24][25][26] Local government services piloted as of July 2017 included applying for free bus passes and 'blue badge' disabled parking permits.
[37] In October 2018, Jo Platt, the Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, said that £130 million had been spent on developing GOV.UK Verify.
[38] In December 2018, GDS announced that over the next 18 months they would be working with standards bodies, identity providers and the private sector to:[39] Computer Weekly expressed concern over this approach in August 2019.
[41] HMRC ceased to use Verify, which had been available for a limited number of online services in parallel with Government Gateway sign-in, with effect from April 2022.