Digital ID and Right to Work checks for employers
Verify candidate identity, manage Right to Work checks and bring your employment screening into one place.
Digital ID verification and Right to Work checks for UK employers.
Secure Screening Services (SSS) provides Digital ID verification and Right to Work checking services for UK employers, with access to a UK-based screening team and wider pre-employment screening when required.
Whether you’re recruiting a handful of people or managing screening across multiple teams, we’ll help you manage the checks relevant to your organisation.
Digital identity verification with wider screening support
For many employers, identity verification is only one of several checks needed before someone starts work.
SSS brings Digital ID verification together with Right to Work checks and broader employment screening. Rather than managing separate providers for every stage, you can use a screening service that supports the checks your organisation needs.
Our approach combines digital checking options with practical support from a UK-based team.
What checks can SSS help you manage?
Digital ID verification
Digital identity verification helps confirm that a person is who they claim to be.
Depending on the checking service and document involved, digital verification can include checking an identity document’s authenticity and comparing the document photograph with the individual presenting it.
This can help employers verify candidate identities without always requiring an in-person document check.
Right to Work checks
Right to Work checks establish whether someone is permitted to carry out the proposed work in the UK.
SSS offers digital and non-digital Right to Work checking options. The appropriate method depends on the individual’s nationality, immigration status and available evidence.
Digital identity verification can support a prescribed Right to Work check, but verifying identity alone does not automatically establish the right to work.
Wider employment screening
Identity and Right to Work checks can also be included alongside other screening requirements, including:
- BPSS screening
- DBS checks, subject to the relevant eligibility requirements
- Employment history verification and referencing
- Additional background checks appropriate to the role
With SSS, you can select individual checks or combine services to meet your organisation’s screening requirements.
What is a digital ID check?
A digital ID check is a process used to verify evidence of a person’s identity through digital technology.
For employment screening, this can involve validating an identity document and checking that it belongs to the person presenting it.
The purpose is to establish identity. A Digital ID check is not an examination of someone’s social media activity, online behaviour or wider employment history.
Where digital identity verification forms part of a regulated checking process, the service and verification method must meet the applicable requirements.
How digital Right to Work checking works
UK employers must establish that people they employ, and other workers covered by the Right to Work Scheme, are permitted to undertake the work in question.
The Home Office sets out different prescribed methods for conducting checks. Not every worker can be checked through the same digital process.
SSS supports digital Right to Work checks through certified and registered Digital Verification Service Providers (DVSPs), including HooYu and TrustID. This allows employers to manage digital identity checks alongside their wider employment screening requirements.
British and Irish passport holders
For eligible British and Irish passport holders, including Irish passport card holders, employers can use a registered Right to Work Digital Verification Service Provider (DVSP).
The DVSP verifies the relevant identity evidence and provides an output for the employer.
Under the rules effective from 1 October 2026, eligible British and Irish passports and Irish passport cards may be checked digitally up to six months after expiry, provided the prescribed requirements are met. Expired documents must pass the required electronic chip verification, and not every registered provider offers this service.
The employer must still complete the required identity-matching and record-keeping steps.
People with eVisas or other immigration status
People whose Right to Work is evidenced through their digital immigration status generally need a Home Office online Right to Work check.
This commonly involves the individual providing a share code, which the employer uses with the Home Office’s online checking service.
Other circumstances may require a prescribed manual check or verification through the Home Office Employer Checking Service.
The method used must be appropriate to the individual. A standalone identity check is not a substitute for the required immigration-status verification.
How the process works with SSS
1Select
checks
Select the checks you need: Choose the identity, Right to Work or additional screening checks relevant to the role. Our team can explain the available options.
2Invite
candidates
Invite your candidate: Add the candidate to the SSS screening portal so they can receive instructions and begin the checks requested.
3Candidate
verification
Complete the appropriate verification process: Where digital verification is available and suitable, the candidate follows the relevant identity-checking process. Other types of Right to Work evidence may require a different checking route.
4Review
employer checks
Review the results and complete your employer checks: You receive the available screening results and records to review. For Right to Work checks, you must also complete the applicable employer verification, evidence-retention and any follow-up requirements. If a digital check cannot be completed, an alternative checking method may be necessary.
What remains your responsibility as an employer?
Using a screening provider can help you manage the process, but it does not transfer your legal responsibilities.
To establish and maintain a statutory excuse against a civil penalty for illegal working, employers must follow the Home Office’s prescribed requirements.
These include, as applicable:
- Carrying out the appropriate Right to Work check before the individual starts work.
- Confirming that the person presenting for work is the individual whose identity and Right to Work have been checked, using a permitted verification method.
- Checking any conditions or restrictions on the individual’s permission to work.
- Obtaining and retaining the required evidence for the duration of employment and two years afterwards.
- Conducting follow-up checks where the relevant permission or statutory excuse is time-limited.
Employers must also apply checking procedures consistently and avoid discriminating against people based on nationality, ethnicity or perceived immigration status.
Since 1 October 2026, Right to Work requirements have also extended to certain worker, subcontractor and intermediary arrangements. Additional responsibilities may arise within contractual supply chains. The requirements depend on the working relationship and contractual arrangements, rather than whether someone is simply described as employed, self-employed or a contractor.
SSS can support your screening process, but your organisation remains responsible for meeting the applicable employer requirements.
For detailed requirements, consult the Home Office’s current Right to Work guidance.
What candidates can expect
A candidate’s identity-checking journey depends on the documents they hold and the check being requested.
Where digital verification is suitable, candidates can be asked to follow instructions to submit identity evidence and complete the required verification steps.
Some checks may involve taking a photograph or using a mobile device to verify identity.
Where someone cannot complete a digital check, or the digital route is not appropriate, an alternative checking process may be needed.
SSS provides candidate support alongside its employer screening services, helping address questions that arise during the process.
Why employers choose SSS
More than identity verification
Digital ID and Right to Work checks can sit alongside DBS, BPSS and wider employment screening, without requiring you to source every service separately.
UK-based support
Our screening team is available to help employers and candidates with questions throughout the screening process.
Screening that fits the role
You can select individual services or combine checks according to your organisation’s requirements, rather than applying the same screening package to every position.
Clearer oversight
Our screening portal allows employers to manage requested checks and access available reports as part of their screening process.
Information security
You can review our published policies and data security information when assessing how SSS handles screening information.
Digital ID as part of wider employment screening
For employers recruiting into security-sensitive, regulated or contract-dependent environments, identity verification is often the starting point rather than the complete screening requirement. SSS also provides:
What’s included?
Covering the core elements of the Baseline Personnel Security Standard:
- Identity verification
- Right to Work
- Employment history
- Unspent criminal record checks
What’s included?
DBS checking services, subject to the eligibility requirements that apply to each level:
- Basic DBS checks
- Standard DBS checks
- Enhanced DBS checks
What’s included?
A broader range of checks relevant to the role, including:
- Employment history verification
- Referencing
- Additional background screening
What’s included?
Covering the core elements of the Baseline Personnel Security Standard:
- Identity verification
- Right to Work
- Employment history
- Unspent criminal record checks
What’s included?
DBS checking services, subject to the eligibility requirements that apply to each level:
- Basic DBS checks
- Standard DBS checks
- Enhanced DBS checks
What’s included?
A broader range of checks relevant to the role, including:
- Employment history verification
- Referencing
- Additional background screening
Working with one screening provider can make it easier to coordinate checks while maintaining a consistent approach to onboarding.
Frequently asked questions about Digital ID and Right to Work checks
A Digital ID check verifies a person’s identity using digital technology. A Right to Work check establishes whether they are legally permitted to undertake the proposed work in the UK.
Digital identity verification can form part of a prescribed Right to Work check, but confirming someone’s identity alone does not establish their right to work.
No. The appropriate checking method depends on the individual’s circumstances and the evidence available.
Eligible British and Irish passport holders can use a registered Digital Verification Service Provider (DVSP). People with eVisas generally need a Home Office online check using a share code. Other individuals may require a prescribed manual check or verification through the Home Office Employer Checking Service.
Digital verification is not mandatory for every candidate.
Yes. SSS works with HooYu and TrustID, which are certified and registered to provide digital Right to Work verification services.
SSS manages the screening service, while the relevant certified provider performs the digital verification. Employers must be able to identify which registered provider carried out their check.
No. Employers remain responsible for meeting the applicable Home Office requirements, even when they use a screening provider.
This includes using the appropriate checking method, confirming the identity of the individual undertaking the work, checking any restrictions, retaining the prescribed evidence and conducting follow-up checks where required.
SSS can support the checking process, but using a provider does not transfer the employer’s legal responsibilities.
Yes. Digital identity verification can support Basic, Standard and Enhanced DBS applications, provided the verification service meets the relevant DBS requirements.
The required level of identity assurance varies by check type, and the digital verification service must hold the appropriate certification.
A DBS check and a Right to Work check serve different purposes. Completing one does not replace the other.
If digital verification is unsuccessful or unsuitable, an alternative checking method may be available.
For Right to Work checks, the alternative must be a method permitted under the Home Office’s prescribed requirements. Employers should ensure candidates are not unfairly disadvantaged because they cannot use a particular digital process.
Yes. SSS provides Digital ID and Right to Work checks alongside BPSS, DBS, employment referencing and wider background screening services.
Employers can select individual checks or combine services according to the requirements of the role, helping them coordinate screening through one provider.
Digital identity verification involves processing personal information, which must be handled in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
Employers must identify an appropriate lawful basis for processing candidate information and provide the required privacy information. Candidate consent is not automatically the appropriate lawful basis for employment screening.
For more information about SSS’s arrangements, see our policies and data security information.
Make identity and employment screening easier to manage
Whether you need individual checks or a more comprehensive screening process, our UK-based team can help you understand your options.
