The UK government’s plan to give citizens a single way to access public services online has reached a major milestone, with more than 11 million users already verified through GOV.UK One Login, according to Natalie Jones OBE, director for digital identity at the Government Digital Service (GDS).
In a keynote speech at Think Cybersecurity and Digital Identity for Government, Jones (pictured) described how One Login is now a working system, and how it lays the groundwork for the UK’s wider digital identity future.
“When I started in this role four years ago, One Login was still very much a vision rather than a reality,” said Jones. “Today, over 11 million people have proven who they are to our system, and we have more than 80 services on board – and those numbers are growing every day.”
The UK Government’s renewed focus on digital identity follows the announcement of a national consultation on how a universal digital ID could work across both public and private sectors. While Jones declined to reveal policy details, she stressed that public trust and inclusion would remain central as plans mature.
From fragmentation to a single front door
One Login aims to simplify what Jones called the “fragmented” experience of accessing government services online. This is where people have to juggle multiple logins, passwords and verification processes across different departments – a source of confusion and inefficiency that costs government millions each year.
The new system offers a single account and identity verification process that can be used across departments, as a “front door” to the digital state.
“Citizens don’t experience their lives in terms of government departments,” said Jones. “They experience them in terms of getting jobs, starting families, buying homes or planning retirement. One Login is helping us organise around those real-world needs.”
Jones explained that the technical and organisational challenges have been immense. Creating a unified system that can reliably across hundreds of services and millions of users required what she called “defence in depth” – a layered security architecture combined with cross-government collaboration.
Inclusion at the heart
A theme of Jones’s speech was ensuring the service works for everyone, including those without digital skills or traditional forms of identification.
Around a quarter of UK adults remain digitally excluded or lack the means to prove their identity online. For them, Jones said One Login provides multiple verification routes, from a mobile app to web-based checks, in-person verification at post offices, and postal confirmation letters.
A newer feature, launched for users without photo ID, enables verification through alternative means, offering access to the estimated nine percent of adults who don’t possess passports or driving licences.
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“These inclusion routes aren’t ‘nice to have’ features,” said Jones. “They’re essential components of a digital identity system that serves all citizens – not just those who are digitally confident.”
Balancing security and usability
Jones emphasised that maintaining security without compromising ease of use remains a core design challenge.
“If we focus too much on usability, we risk vulnerabilities. But every new security measure also adds friction for users,” she said.
To manage that balance, GDS has implemented layered fraud prevention and real-time threat monitoring, including shared signals across departments, so that when one service detects fraud, others can respond proactively.
This approach, said Jones, builds “public confidence while maintaining the operational security effective fraud prevention requires.”
Greener, faster, better
Jones also revealed that One Login has become one of the government’s greenest digital programmes, having adopted a serverless architecture two years ago. This approach, she said, not only cuts costs and improves scalability but also reduces the environmental footprint of digital government.
“It’s not just about performance,” she said. “It’s inherently more sustainable than traditional server infrastructure. By helping users succeed the first time, we’re also reducing energy use associated with repeated transactions.”
Next steps
Departments already using One Login include the Home Office, HMRC, DWP, Companies House and the Department for Education, with more joining in the coming months. By the end of 2027, Jones said, One Login will become the only way to access all central government services.
Looking ahead, the next stage of the programme will introduce the GOV.UK Wallet, a secure app for storing and using digital credentials such as the Armed Forces Veterans Card and, eventually, digital driving licences and other government-issued documents.
Jones said the wallet would underpin a “national digital identity credential,” enabling citizens to verify themselves securely not only across government but potentially in cross-border contexts.
“The young people using One Login today will be the first generation to have just one government account throughout their lives,” she said. “They’ll expect it to be as seamless and secure as the best commercial services they use every day – and that’s the standard we’re setting.”
