4.19 Verify provides a single route for people to prove their identity and access government services online. Verify plans to replace identity checking for citizens through the Government Gateway; in previous reports we found that without investment, weaknesses in Government Gateway would leave it increasingly exposed to attack.29
4.20 The Verify service requires the citizen to register with a commercial identity provider through GOV.UK. Providers validate citizens' identities and confirm identity to the service that the citizen wants to use. This approach was chosen to avoid creating a single database of users and to stimulate a market for identity assurance services.
4.21 Verify aims to help departments create new digital services online. Government expects Verify to offer more consistent and higher levels of security, a more uniform user experience and to reduce costs to departments from having a range of different paper-based processes. Verify began public trials in October 2014. The central estimate of the business case forecasts that 25 million people will use the service by April 2020.
4.22 The Government's 2017 Transformation Strategy reconfirmed its commitment to common platforms and Verify. GDS is trying to increase take-up of Verify across departments and in local government. It is also renegotiating contract terms with verification providers and exploring how it might expand opportunities for the private sector to use and pay for the service.
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29 Comptroller and Auditor General, Identity Assurance Programme: Briefing Paper, National Audit Office, December 2014; and Comptroller and Auditor General, Digital Britain One: Shared infrastructure and services for government online, Session 2010-2012, HC 1589, National Audit Office, December 2011.