British postal operator Royal Mail has launched a new certified identity service that connects to the GOV.UK Verify platform, enabling users to prove who they are online in order to access a range of government services. This includes claiming a tax refund, getting a pension statement, submitting a tax self-assessment and applying for universal credit. A further 15 services are expected to be added over the next 18 months including amending a driver record, applying for child maintenance and signing a mortgage deed.
As a GOV.UK Verify certified company, Royal Mail will ‘verify’ the identity of consumers using their name, gender, address and date of birth. Users will also be asked to supply a passport or driver’s license number for further validation.
If the information matches, users will be granted a unique online identity, with username and password. The process will be quick, easy and free for consumers. It will also give people control over their own data, eliminating the need for information about individuals to be stored in one central government database.
Royal Mail is one of nine certified companies chosen by GOV.UK Verify to act as an ID service provider. More than 470,000 user identities have now been verified through GOV.UK Verify. In the coming years, over 10 million people a year are predicted to use the system.
Jim Conning, managing director of Royal Mail Data Services, said, “Royal Mail has a long track record of supporting its customers with data-driven services from managing the Postcode Address File we use to deliver to the UK’s 29 million addresses, to helping more than two million people a year move house without facing the risk of ID fraud with our redirection service.
“Royal Mail’s new certified identity service is part of our strategy to innovate and introduce new platforms where we can grow, while maintaining our leading position in the letters and parcels markets.”
Click here for more information on Royal Mail’s certified identity platform and links to the government services that use it.
March 14, 2016