For insurers and brokers active in the property sector, plus those looking to hire staff, the government has an update on their new digital ID checking system – no more paper docs checks for those who sign up to the scheme. It will be interesting to see if a false result in an automated ID check results in a few employment tribunal cases later in the year. Hard to believe a govt IT system will be 100% accurate.
Landlords, letting agents and employers will be able to use certified new technology to digitally carry out vital right to work and right to rent checks aimed to crack down on abuse of the immigration system. The government has announced that, from 6 April, certified identity service providers (IDSPs) will be able to use Identification Document Validation Technology (IDVT) to conduct right to work checks and right to rent checks on behalf of British and Irish citizens.
IDSPs allow people to verify their identity remotely and prove their eligibility to work or rent, which will reduce the costs of recruitment and letting processes. The same process is being enabled for DBS pre-employment checks.
Working time and hours spent undertaking the checks will be slashed as landlords and employers who use an IDSP will no longer need to physically examine documents. IDSPs will also be able to carry out checks on behalf of employers and landlords at scale, for example in large recruitment campaigns when a high number of new employees are recruited.
The right to rent and work schemes are a key measure to tackle and deter illegal immigration, as part of the government’s New Plan for Immigration and move to a digital immigration system.
They are intended to prevent individuals without lawful immigration status in the UK from working and accessing accommodation, as well as supporting efforts to tackle those who exploit vulnerable migrants, often housing them in very poor conditions.
Further details on how organisations become certified is available here.
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