Government Digital ID System to be in use at DBS by The End of 2022
It has been announced that the Government’s new authentication system, will be deployed at the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) later this year.
The DBS will be the first government body to deploy ‘One Login’. This solution is designed to allow the public a single sign-on solution to access government services. This system will allow the public to verify their identity digitally and then access services.
When introduced to the DBS, individuals will be able to complete DBS Checks and verify their identity all in one place.
UK Government have partnered with Deloitte to deliver and test the system in two contracts worth a combined total of £13.8 million.
One Login was originally supposed to be deployed to the DBS in April 2022. However, this timeline has been delayed for undisclosed reasons.
It is though that the system will be in place at the DBS sometime in September 22.
What is the One Login service?
One Login is a digital identity verification service being built by the UK Government. When completed, One Login will allow users of GOV.UK accounts to access all government services with a single sign-on.
Individuals will be able to use their photo ID and smartphones to prove their identity in around ten minutes. However, there are multiple methods to verify identity being developed to ensure accessibility.
One Login will be replacing the Gov Verify solution, which was scrapped recently. Although it is still in use by the DBS.
One Login is a fundamental element in creating unified government services. In the tender notice on the Government’s Digital Marketplace, it was made clear why the need for a system like One Login was so urgent:
“People are still asked to sign in and prove their identity in different ways to access different services. From our own research we know that many users don’t understand the differences between these logins, and are confused about which ones they already have.
“Departments delivering government services currently have to build or buy their own sign-on and identity services, resulting in people having to enter the same information time and again when accessing multiple services.
“Running multiple systems in this way also leads to added cost to the taxpayer and, because it is hard for different services to share information with each other, reduced capability for government to tackle fraudulent access to its services in a joined-up way,”
Unified Government Services
Part of the government’s digital strategy is to unify all government services into a single experience. This would help streamline public access to these services and ultimately save everyone time and money.
As it stands, around half of the different government services that can be accessed online have a separate login process. For people that rely on government services regularly, this system is clearly not fit for purpose.
Research from the government shows that many people already assume that government departments share data on individuals. Which isn’t the case. This assumption is likely one of the key frustrations most people have when accessing government services. But it seems that problem will coming to an end sooner rather than later.