Now I'm scared

It just seems that they are trying to crack a nut with a sledgehammer. From what I understand it's about proving your right to be here and to access services.

It just seems a bit unnecessary and probably massively costly. I suppose it'll fill the gaps for the ones of us the may not have a passport or drivers licence, it'll also fix the issues around requiring ID to vote.

Some people don't have or don't want smartphones, will there be an alternative?

If it's really about stopping illegal immigrants from renting or working, then why not put all the money into policing our existing laws better, it's already illegal to rent a house too or employ an undocumented migrant, so how will this help stop it happening? It's just putting another burden onto ordinary people going about thier normal lives. I think we need to find who's housing and employing undocumented migrants and prosecute them and imprison them for long periods of time, those employing and housing irregulars are probably involved in other sorts of criminality, such as slavery, tax evasion and bringing people into the country in the first place. Lets work more on that, rather than punishing people who were born here or live here quite legally.

Hear, hear! TheCatWoman for Prime Minister!

I already have a birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport, National insurance number, NHS number, and Government Gateway account - I can be easily identified, as can most people like me who were born in the UK and have lived here all our lives. Why waste money on getting us more ID when the resources could be used in a better way?

Oh, just a thought - maybe it's not actually about illegal immigrants but is a crafty way of beginning to exert more control over the populace? I don't think it's going to affect us oldies much, but as we expire and the population starts to be made up of those generations who have always had mobile phones and computers, that tech could possibly be used like "Big Brother". It didn't happen in 1984, but maybe it might happen by 2084?

Hear, hear! TheCatWoman for Prime Minister!

I already have a birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport, National insurance number, NHS number, and Government Gateway account - I can be easily identified, as can most people like me who were born in the UK and have lived here all our lives. Why waste money on getting us more ID when the resources could be used in a better way?

Oh, just a thought - maybe it's not actually about illegal immigrants but is a crafty way of beginning to exert more control over the populace? I don't think it's going to affect us oldies much, but as we expire and the population starts to be made up of those generations who have always had mobile phones and computers, that tech could possibly be used like "Big Brother". It didn't happen in 1984, but maybe it might happen by 2084?

Possibly not but I'm not sure thats a good enough arguement for it. I'd be far to sensible and want to do real things, like making sure we use our existing laws to their fullest extent before introducing new one's, or stopping land banking by big building firms.

You couldn't be worse than any other PM we've had!

Good Gods woman don't try and give me that sort of power, I'm a diplomatic incident waiting to happen as it is!