Digital ID card scheme 'risks leaving older people behind'

The government has announced plans to introduce a digital ID system across the UK.

Under the new scheme, IDs will not have to be carried day-to-day, but they will be required for those working in the UK.

Age Scotland has expressed concerns about how this digital by default scheme could negatively impact older people without access to the required technology.

Age Scotland's Policy Director, Adam Stachura, said: 

"It’s fair to say that there are a lot of unknowns surrounding these plans at the moment.

“The government will really need to set out its stall on how it will support people who are currently offline and do not have smartphones, and how they intend to ensure people are kept up to date as time goes on.

“We know that there are hundreds of thousands of older people in Scotland without access to a smartphone. I’m sure many will be anxious about what this announcement might mean for them and the governments’ expectations of them if they are unable to comply or access the new scheme.

“There is a huge amount of work that governments across the UK need to do in order to improve digital inclusion in the first instance, rather than immediately running down a digital by default track which risks leaving large numbers of people behind.” 

Find out about the support available for older workers in our information guide.