. UK ▁Ver ify ▁: ▁ ▁Use ▁beyond ▁central ▁government ▁ ▁Local ▁government ▁G DS ▁has ▁been ▁working ▁with ▁local ▁authorities ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁to ▁pilot ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁GO V . UK ▁Ver ify ▁by ▁local ▁government . ▁Local ▁government ▁services ▁pil oted ▁as ▁of ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁included ▁applying ▁for ▁free ▁bus ▁passes ▁and ▁' blue ▁bad ge ' ▁disabled ▁par king ▁perm its . ▁ ▁Private ▁sector ▁From ▁the ▁out set , ▁G DS ▁had ▁intended ▁GO V . UK ▁Ver ify ▁use ▁to ▁be ▁extended ▁to ▁the ▁private ▁sector . ▁While ▁work ▁was ▁under way ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁this ▁was ▁still ▁not ▁in ▁place ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁when ▁the ▁G DS ▁head ▁Kevin ▁C unning ton ▁announced ▁that ▁" GO V . UK ▁Ver ify ▁is ▁now ▁m ature ▁enough ▁for ▁us ▁to ▁take ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁next ▁stage ▁- ▁opening ▁it ▁up ▁beyond ▁the ▁private ▁sector ▁for ▁the ▁private ▁sector ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁lead ". ▁ ▁C unning ton ▁announced ▁that ▁five ▁of ▁the ▁identity ▁prov iders ▁had ▁signed ▁contract s ▁for ▁a ▁further ▁ 1 8 ▁months , ▁after ▁which ▁the ▁scheme ▁would ▁not ▁receive ▁further ▁fund ing ▁from ▁government . ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁scheme ▁would ▁instead ▁be ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁private ▁sector . ▁ ▁N HS ▁GO V . UK ▁Ver ify ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁options ▁considered ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Health ▁Service ▁for ▁its ▁citiz en ▁identity ▁solution