Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

Do they not already have the equivalent of a US social security card? (For the employment eligibility, not the program benefits.) Is this something much different from that?

They have a couple “numbers”, but not a id “card” besides a passport (which only citizens get, not permanent residents). ID cards are pretty standard across EU.

You aren't required to show your social security card to your employer. You aren't even required to have the physical card for almost all purposes. It specifically says on the card, and in other places that it is not to be used for identification.

https://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/assets/EN-05-10553.pdf

> It specifically says on the card, and in other places that it is not to be used for identification.

The US tried that back when Social Security Numbers were introduced. It specifically said it was for tax-purposes (a context where it might've been adequately-secure) and not to be used for anything else.

Yet without any actual penalties against "other places", it got misused everywhere by companies trying to save a buck on primary-key choice and authenticating people.

Its the I-9 thats required, the SSN card is just one way to satisfy that

We have a “national insurance number” used for tax purposes but it’s just a number that you fill in in forms; no-one asks to see the cards. I’m not sure they even issue the physical cards anymore? I lost mine a long time ago.