Identity verification
Published 14 December 2020
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/identity-verification-at-the-sia/identity-verification
1. Request:
Under the Freedom of Information Act, please could I request the following information:
1) Please list the services that require users to verify their identity by sending in physical forms of documentation (e.g. a passport).
1a) For each of these services, how many identities were verified in this way in your 2019/20 financial year, and what did it cost to process?
1b) Are these verifications performed by a third party or conducted by an in-house team?
2) Please list the services that allow users to use a digital method for proving their identity, and name the methods used (e.g. Gov.UK Verify or other equivalent digital biometric identity method)?
2a) For each of these services, how many identities were verified in this way in your 2019/20 financial year, and what did it cost to process?
By ‘identity verification’ I mean the same definition used by Government which is “a digital identity is information used by computer systems to represent a unique person, organisation, application or device. So for a citizen or consumer, a ‘digital identity’ is a trusted way of proving one or more attributes about themselves online or offline and the linkage of those attributes to that same person as a uniquely identifiable individual.”
1.1 Clarification
Firstly, I just want to be clear that I am particularly interested in the checks related to citizens, so members of the public (not employees, new recruits etc.).
I would like to know which services require members of the public to provide ID verification. So if both the services that you have specified require members of the public/citizens to send over a physical version of their ID (such as their passport), then please specify this. No need to let me know about the stage in which ID verification is asked.
I mean identity checks performed only for the general public/citizens as specific in the clarification for question 1 above.
For greater clarity, I want to make you are aware that the first set of questions refer specifically to members of the public providing physical documentation (such as a passport) in order to verify their ID, whilst the second set of questions refer to ID that can be verified through digital means, for example a member of the public being able to upload their passport online, enter their passport number online, enter their national insurance number online, using a digital service like GOV.UK Verify etc. in order for their ID to be verified.
2. Response:
I can confirm that we do hold the information you requested.
2.1 Physical documentation
There are 3 services that require a member of the public provide a physical version of ID verification during the licensing application process. These are listed below.
The “total number of ID verifications” calculated for 1 and 2 was based on a multiplication of people by 3. This is because every applicant in FY2019-20 had to provide 3 pieces of document identification to either the Post Office or a business using our Licence Management service (1x Group A + 2x Group B).
Description of Group A and Group B documents
Post Office
ID verification is carried out at one of the authorised Post Office branches:
- Total number of identities verified at the Post Office in FY2019-20: 110,796
- Total number of identity documents verified in FY2019-20: 332,388*
Approved contractors using our Licence Management service
ID verification is carried out by the applicant’s employer (only for authorised business):
- Total number of identities verified by LM companies in FY2019-20: 10,717
- Total number of identity documents verified in FY2019-20: 32,151*
In house verifications
ID verification is carried out by SIA officers on original Group A and Group B documents received at our office.
- Total number of identities verified in FY2019-20: 21,077
- Total number of identity documents verified in FY2019-20: 26,581*
2.2 Digital verification
There are 2 services that carry out an electronic ID verification during the licensing application process. These are listed below.
Experian
Total Experian checks processed in FY2019-20: 156,076
Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO)
For applicants that provided a UK passport number during the application process.
Total number of HMPO checks processed in FY2019-20: 98,148
[Reference: FOI 0229]