Changes to DBS checks
Changes to DBS checks from 1 July 2021
From 1 July 2021 new rules for right to work checks will apply. EEA and Swiss nationals (with the noted exception of Irish nationals) will need to provide evidence of a lawful immigration status in the UK. Passports and identity cards will no longer be sufficient for this. In response to these changes, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has updated the ID checking guidelines for all levels of applications.
Whilst an EEA passport will continue to be acceptable as proof of name and date of birth as part of the identity verification, it will not be valid on its own to satisfy the right to work requirement. Instead, the candidate’s immigration status must be verified either through providing a physical document such as a biometric residence document, or through the Home Office’s online right to work check service. As EEA and Swiss nationals will largely not receive physical documentation as evidence of their right to work, the online right to work check service will be required in the majority of cases.
This online service is a two-stage process requiring the employer to access a portal using a candidate-supplied share code, and printout a copy as evidence of the candidate’s right to work. Security Watchdog have confirmed with the DBS that the online service cannot be used as proof of an individual’s date of birth. As such EEA nationals with be required to provide a valid identity document in addition to the right to work verification so that the date of birth verification can still be conducted.