On 6 June 2022, the government announced the first certified digital identity service provider (IDSP). This means that more employers may now choose to roll out digital right to work checks for holders of valid UK and Irish passports (including Irish passport cards).
As confirmed in the government's guidance on digital certification for right to work, right to rent and criminal record checks, a collaboration between Yoti and the Post Office has become the first and only IDSP to receive certification under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) UK digital identity and attributes trust framework. The provider is approved for right to work, right to rent and criminal record checks.
Although the Yoti and EasyID reusable digital ID apps allow holders to prove their identity using their smartphone, employers will need to use provider's website-based service for right to work checks (for further details please see "Home Office releases further details of digital right to work check tool").
Where a provider has been certified under the trust framework, the Home Office has accepted that its identification document validation technology (IDVT) is able to provide verification of a person's identity to at least a medium level of confidence, which is the minimum level of identity assurance recommended for employers engaging an IDSP for right to work checks.
Employers are still able to access adjusted right to work checks until at least 30 September 2022. The current deadline for withdrawing adjusted checks was set in part to allow employers to develop and firmly establish a commercial arrangement with an IDSP and change their right to work check processes. It remains to be seen to what extent this is possible over the coming months and whether businesses will request a further extension to adjusted checks (for further details please see "Adjusted right to work checks extended to 30 September 2022").
For further information on this topic please contact Andrew Osborne, Supinder Singh Sian, Li Xiang or Tom McEvoy at Lewis Silkin by telephone (+44 20 7074 8000) or email ([email protected], [email protected]m, [email protected] or [email protected]). The Lewis Silkin website can be accessed at www.lewissilkin.com.