GOV.UK Verify To Cover 90% Of Population In 2016

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has revealed that it intends the GOV.UK Verify scheme to cover 90% of the UK adult population by April 2016.  

Currently, it is estimated the identity assurance programme covers about 80% of adults in the country, up from 65% at the beginning of the public beta phase.  

"Since the start of our public beta we've seen the introduction of new methods that allow people to prove their identity more straightforwardly and with fewer pieces of evidence," claimed Identity Assurance Programme Director Janet Hughes.  

"For example, certified companies have implemented new ways to validate official documents so that users with any passport and any EU identity document can use those documents as identity evidence, and new ways to validate payment cards without reference to a to user's credit reference data," she added.  

In an update on GOV.UK Verify's progress, GDS explains that both existing and new identity provider companies will be adding more data and methods over the coming months as the organisation moves towards the 90% coverage target.  

In the same update, GDS says that it is now working with 51 government Departments, 13 of which are already connected to the identity assurance scheme, including seven in public beta.  

It claims to be on track to meet the demands of services in the pipeline, with an expectation that 30 services will be using GOV.UK Verify by April 2016 and the remaining 20 or so to join during 2016/17.  

90% Success Rate Target 

GDS also claims it is aiming for a 90% success rate for people using the service to try and prove their identity.  

Hughes explains that at the beginning of the project, the success rate was just 40% and currently stands at around 69% - it aims to hit 90% by April 2016.  

"There's been a sustained increase in both the success and completion rates for GOV.UK Verify," the programme director claimed.  

"We expect this improvement to continue as certified companies continue to improve and expand their services and as new identity providers come onboard," she added.  

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