Challenges for adoption of Verify

4.28 Adoption of Verify has been impeded by problems experienced by users and services. Citizens are not always able to register with the commercial providers due to lack of online 'proof' of identity. Data show that a significant number of users drop out before they submit a full application to verification providers. Providers' performance in verifying applications successfully is below the 90% target set out in the September 2015 business case (Figure 14 overleaf).

4.29 People who have successfully verified their identity may still be unable to access a government service. Even when registrations are successful and the users' credentials are passed to departments, some departments have difficulty matching the credentials to those stored in a different way in their existing legacy systems. GDS has told us that it does not track the success rate for verified user identities being accepted by the departmental service the user is trying to access.

4.30 Verify is also only a limited part of what departments need to do to provide secure online services. Many departments still need their own means of checking users or particular transactions. Departments are therefore incurring additional costs. As well as providing a contributing cost of £1.20 for each successful confirmation of identity, departments are bearing indirect costs - for example in helping users through the process of verification using Verify and developing new matching software and processes for Verify records. Combined with performance problems, this means that departments face weak incentives to adopt Verify.

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Figure 14
GOV.UK Verify: operating performance (April 2016 to January 2017)

Verification success rates are below target and there is significant drop-out at the application stage

Notes

1 The completion rate (yellow line) measures the number of visits to the Verify website which result in the creation of a verified identity from the point that a user selects 'start now' on the GOV.UK Verify website to completion of the session. A single user could make multiple visits before completing an application to have their identity verified.

2 The verification rate (the red line with the target orange line) measures provider performance in successfully validating the identity of users who completed an application.

Source: National Audit Office analysis of Government Digital Service performance information at: www.gov.uk/performance/govuk-verify
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