Once the National Identity Scheme is fully in operation, all kinds of businesses and organisations, public services and government departments, will be able to check the identity of individuals through the identity verification service. We will call these 'accredited organisations' and there is a section on this website for their use.
(For more on how government agencies and public sector organisations may use the scheme see Delivering free public services and benefits.)
Here is just a sample of the types of organisations and businesses we expect to use the scheme in order to check the identity of their customers:
Many more companies and organisations will use the scheme to check the immigration status of potential employees and to ensure those applying for positions of trust are who they say they are.
Before an organisation can carry out identity checks they will need to be fully accredited by the scheme. Once accredited they will be subject to ongoing audits to make sure they continue to comply with the scheme’s regulations. They will be able to conduct checks on your identity only with your consent. These checks will simply confirm your identity or other known facts, such as your address details, from the NIR.
