New digital ID cards for Armed Forces veterans are safe and secure, insists minister

Veterans can now apply for a digital version of their physical ID cards that will include their name, photo, latest service and date of birth.

The card, which was launched at the Tower of London, is the first digital document to be stored in a Government's app which its says will one day be used to store documents like digital driving licences.

BFBS Forces News asked Veterans & People Minister Louise Sandher-Jones how secure the information would be and how confident she was that the new digital system could not be hacked.

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"It's banking-level technology that's securing it. It's not tracked in any way," former Army officer Mrs Sandher-Jones explained. "The information on there is as safe as, for example, if you use a veteran's railcard on your phone."

The digital copy aims to make it easier to access key services and discounts via smartphones.

Former service personnel will be able to show their veteran status to access housing and mental health support, reduced entry at museums and money off their shopping.

"We have the physical veteran card that was launched a few years ago; we've got over 300,000 of those in circulation. What this is, is just a digitalisation of that physical card," she said.

"For those who are comfortable with a smartphone, perhaps those like me, very rarely I'm carrying a physical wallet around these days, so it's convenient to have it there on my phone for when I need to access services."

The digital ID card was launched with veterans who work at the Tower of London.

BFBS Forces News also spoke to veteran Andrew Jackson, the current governor of the Tower, which offers a discount to veterans who visit.

"The ability for somebody to show the card digitally just makes it easier, particularly for the person who's visiting," Mr Jackson said.

"You don't want to be faffing around, but also for the staff who are operating the ticket office. So we like things that make our work easier."

Several veterans who are now Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London got to try out the new digital cards.

"Most of them have been able to do it without any difficulty whatsoever. A couple of them have had a couple of problems," added Mr Jackson, who served as an infantry officer with The Royal Yorkshire Regiment in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

"Fortunately, we've got the team on site today who are helping us navigate those, and so by the time we finish today, they should all be able to get on."

For those who prefer to keep their physical card rather than sign up to have a digital one, Mrs Sandher-Jones said: "The physical card is absolutely still an option. I've still got my physical card. It's somewhere away, safe, so I won't lose it.

"To anybody that isn't comfortable with using a smartphone at all, for whatever reason and prefers having a physical version, they absolutely will still be able to have the physical version."

The Ministry of Defence said veterans would be able to use the digital card to:

• Register their service background with their GP. This can give them access to services in England, such as Op Restore for physical health support and Op Courage for mental health and wellbeing.
• Confirm their military background to access supported housing through Op Fortitude, the Government's secure referral system and support service for ex-service personnel who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
• Get support into careers with Op Ascend - a free government-backed service linking them up with career advisors and veteran-friendly employers.
• Access discounts and services offered by participating businesses.

Veterans can download their digital card via the GOV.UK One Login app, which, like banking apps, uses passcodes, Face ID, or Touch ID.