Pros
Reduce extensive paperwork, Universal Credit is a beaurocratic nightmare
3-13% GDP gain from less fraud (especially with online scammers and ID theft), streamlined banking, productivity
Consolidate and replace many other forms of ID, like Government Gateway, NHS number, National Insurance number, library card, driving licence, blue badges
Helps bring more government services online, rather than phoning someone between 10am and 4pm or posting letters
Remove the need to pay for ID in the form of driving licence, passport, or Citizen ID card
Should help get a bank account and a job for those without one, and without a fixed address or other forms of ID, which makes it easier to vote, open a business, and access justice
Make it easier to access adult content without sharing your data with third parties, rent and buy houses, pay bills, and cars and phone
Streamline applications for migrants and refugees
Many countries already have it and it's considered normal, in Estonia it can also be used to vote
Reduces fraud in benefits such as undeclared income, savings or partners
Cons
Higher priorities for spending money like addressing poverty such as food banks. A good system will cost billions, but weigh that against lost productivity from existing beaurocracy from multiple forms of ID
Risk of single point of failure, stopping or excluding people accessing any service
We already have National Insurance Number, this is just adding to more things we need - it would likely replace it
Not everyone has a smartphone, computer or internet, forcing poor people to pay for one. There would have to be a solid alternative (e.g. physical card, or free phone)
High security and fraud risk, though paper documents are already highly forged
Risk of surveillance by tracking your activities, which could lead to denying public access by creating checkpoints and social credit scores
Errors could cripple someone's livelihood or access with no appeals process
In summary, making them mandatory, and without a solid alternative non-mobile plan, will create barriers for poor people, or just unlucky people.
However, a good, secure, Estonia-like ID system with civilian oversight so it is not misused for surveillance, accessible to everyone regardless of finances, with an easy way to fix errors, would help everyone.
