The UK government has backed down on plans to make digital ID cards compulsory for workers  — abandoning the idea that everyone would need one to prove their right to work by the end of this Parliament (due by 2029). Originally pitched as a way to deter illegal working, the requirement will no longer be mandatory, though the government says it is still committed to digital right-to-work checks . Employers will still need to check eligibility, but other forms of documentation