Question to the Cabinet Office:
What recent assessment the Government has made of the (a) viability and (b) value for money of the Verify scheme.
Verify continues to work well, supporting 19 services. More than 8 million Verify accounts have been created, with over 2.3 million added since the start of the pandemic as citizens accessed critical online services.
Building on the lessons and experiences of Verify, and as we announced in last year's Spending Review, the Government Digital Service is collaborating with other departments - including the Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC and Home Office - to develop a new login and identity assurance system that will make it easier for more people to use online services safely. While this new system is being developed, users and connected services will continue to rely on GOV.UK Verify. The Government has therefore decided to extend the current Verify service, enabling new users to sign up until April 2022.