The Home Office announced this week that the end date for adjusted digital right to work checks has been delayed again, to 5 April 2022.

The official guidance can be found here.

This follows extensive campaigning by the Recruitment and Employers Confederation and others, including yesterday’s letter from the REC to the Home Office urging them to extend the use of digital right to work checks until a permanent digital solution is in place, due to the current labour shortages.

In response to the announcement, Chief Executive of the REC Neil Carberry said:

“This is great news for recruiters and hiring businesses all over the country. Digital right to work checks have been a resounding success during the pandemic, allowing companies to hire quickly and safely as well as improving compliance. It makes complete sense to extend their use, especially considering the unprecedented labour shortages we are experiencing now. This move comes on the back of extensive campaigning from the REC with our last letter to the Home Office yesterday – linking the need for a delay to helping with worker shortages. We look forward to working with them further on a more permanent digital solution.”

FIS CEO, Iain McIlwee responded: 

“It is great to see some pragmatism, but we need to get away from this last minute lurch, which creates uncertainty and confusion.  We also need to look more holistically at the skilled worker and shortage occupation list, the economy is at risk from principles being too rapidly applied”.

Lookig for employment advice – access the FIS Employment Toolkit here