Seven firms have been chosen to provide the Identity Assurance service required for benefit applicants to the new Universal Credit welfare scheme.
The Post Office, Cassidian, Digidentity, Experian, Ingeus, Mydex, and Verizon will deliver secure online identity registration services for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The suppliers were chosen from 44 bidders for the project, and the value of the 18-month framework contracts will be GBP25m.
The Identity Assurance (IDA) scheme will allow benefit claimants to choose who will validate their identity by automatically checking their authenticity with the provider before processing online benefit claims.
The service is expected to become the standard for accessing online public services as more web-based systems are created as part of the government's digital strategy.
Government sources had previously suggested there would be eight IDA providers, who were due to be announced on 22 October, with names such as PayPal and BT being mentioned – neither of whom made the final list. Delays in that announcement were rumoured to be down to final discussions with suppliers.
Minister for welfare reform Lord Freud said: ''We are working with cyber security experts to ensure we are clear about the threats to the online process and we are confident that the providers announced today will offer an effective, safe and free-to-use identity service for future online benefit claims.''
Under IDA, the private sector providers will deliver a service to verify a user's identity and store their relevant personal details. When the user accesses an online public service, the website will connect to their chosen IDA provider to authenticate their details.
Read more about Identity Assurance
Identity assurance - how it will affect public services and your personal data
Post Office reveals plans for identity assurance services
DWP seeks GBP200m identity assurance framework
DWP tenders for GBP25m IDA services
Government to create market for personal identity data
Government expected to unveil eight IDA suppliers for online services
The aim is that users will only have to give their details to one provider, and those details will be secured with a single username and password rather than having to use multiple sites with different usernames.
The DWP initially put out a tender worth GBP200m for identity services, but Government Digital Service director Mike Bracken pulled that tender, and instead issued a new one for just GBP25m.
IDA is a critical element of Universal Credit, the government's flagship welfare reform programme, although it has been taken out of the early trials, due to start in April. Earlier this week, reports suggested that the project is over budget and running late due to IT problems. Several of the key programme leaders have left the project in recent weeks.
Universal Credit is also the biggest test of the government's intention to use more agile software development methods for its major IT projects.
