Identity Theft - Identity cards

What is identity theft? > Identity Crime Definitions How to protect yourself > Keep your personal information secure > Keep all your plastic cards safe > Keep your documents safe > Keep your passwords and PINs safe > Corporate Identity Fraud > Protecting the identity of deceased family members Are you a victim? > Your credit report > Reporting the problem > CIFAS Protective Registration Victims of fraud service Who can help? > Obtaining your credit file > Consumer finance identity theft information > Reporting the theft or loss of mail and document > General fraud prevention What is being done? > Criminal offences > Passports > Sharing good practice and joint working > Identity cards > Impersonation of the deceased > Raising public awareness > British Crime Survey > Cost of identity fraud Downloads Latest news FAQ's About Us	Identity cards The UK government is introducing identity cards through the National Identity Service (NIS). The NIS is being developed by the Identity and Passport Service and the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Public Panel and Experts Group The government is committed to ensuring that the operation of the NIS is completely transparent and that people, businesses and government are fully aware of their rights and responsibilities and those of the government under the Service. The IPS is setting up a Public Panel to allow members of the public the opportunity to help ensure their identity rights are protected. IPS is committed to making sure that the way they work is completely transparent and that people, businesses and the government know their rights and responsibilities. The Public Panel will meet in six regional groups up to three times a year. Each group will consist of 11 members, and will be based in the North and South of England, the Midlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. An Experts Group will also be established providing an independent perspective to inform the development of the NIS and helping the Public Panel to understand the detail. Click here for further information and details of the recruitment process for the Public Panel. More information about the Experts Group and how to apply is available here. National Identity Service The National Identity Service combines passports and identity cards with the National Identity Register and a range of identity services for both individuals and businesses. Since the National Identity Register (NIR) will hold an identity card owner's biographic and biometric details securely, it is able to provide confirmation that you are the rightful owner of an identity record. Both passports and identity cards will include biometrics of your unique physical features (face and fingerprints), securing them to your biographic details (including your name, address, and date of birth). The Identity Card will replace the need for a variety of documents to prove your identity and introduces a range of new services too. For British citizens, the identity card will also be valid for European travel. The National Identity Service brings identity assurance. By locking one individual to one identity using their biometrics, the Identity Card will make it much harder to create false identities. Once a person has their biometrics stored on the NIR, they will be unable to claim an additional identity – and those that are there already cannot easily be impersonated. By keeping it this simple and providing stronger identity assurance, the National Identity Service helps ensure public services are used by those entitled to them and not by those set upon abusing the system. Click here to find out more about Identity Cards and register to receive a regular newsletter on the Directgov website