Or the appalling Iain Duncan Smith making this decision!
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I understand that this may be one of the reasons why some of the “blue zones” in the world may not be quite as blue as people have assumed. 
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That’s what comes of all the overseas territories, in places like the Pacific, being considered ‘France’.
Pity Quebec is Canadian, if French, might have balanced things up. 
In 2025 it’s pretty easy. Most of the big identity verification companies have an app you can download, and exactly as you would when opening a bank account online, you just take photos of your ID and/or documents, then record a live video. The machine learning then takes the data points of the passport photo, applies them to the face in the video to check it’s the same person, then checks the video, usually you’re asked to say random phrases, words or numbers, and potentially turn your head, all of which checks you’re a real, living, human doing a live video not a recording. There’s obviously a reason DWP aren’t using this, be it concerns about the integrity, data use, cost of having to use a 3rd party perhaps, or just that the wheels of government turn oh so slowly, but it’s definitely possible to achieve to a pretty rigorous standard.
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The current Proof of Life system is simple and easy to fulfil and I can see no reason to change it.
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The current horse and cart system of transportation is simple and easy to fulfil and I can see no reason to change it.
Incidentally, I’ve just this evening done the new gov.uk One account setup having to verify my identity to be able to file companies house documents etc in future. It was very nifty and quick and even used the RFID function on a phone to check the chip on my passport. So i guess they do have the tech to do away with paper in future years once they’re sure the system works.
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Yes I did that quite some time ago to set up my id. I thought it was very slick.
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The whole process was very impressive. I’m not particularly onboard with the centralised nature of having one number that identifies you to the government, just made me think of Patrick McGoohan and his “I am not a number, I am a free man!” line, but the ID verification procedure was certainly very slick.
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The German pension system uses one. I have proved my “life” with it. Saves getting the form signed and stamped and posted.
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There’s still a little bit of it left. Not an OD though.
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I believe France has a phone app for proof of life also.
Mine is awaiting completion. Previously an English friend who was a retired teacher signed for me but she went back to England to live. Now the obvious choice is my friend the Maire. Problem is I have never used my first Christian name since birth, usually David, which is my middle name. As a result some authorities have one and others, the other. This one has my middle name but my passport or other documents that I would have to show the Maire have a different name. It is likely that he will take no notice but if he does…?
I really think it doesn’t matter. Our Mairie just finds it funny that we are having to prove we are still alive. As everything is in English, they don’t look at the bit we’ve filled in, they just sign and stamp where we show them.
He should not mind. I am in the same boat and just say that in the Uk and US we are permitted to use our middle name. Provided the name you go by is on the passport is, in all me experience, fine.
Yes, worth the risk, he is always good for a laugh. Government, smothenment, what do they know? 
We shall probably have to call you Baron Otto de Nontron going forward in that case… 
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I used to watch that program, Benidorm, thinking it was a soap - the when I had to pass through it I realised it was a documentary.
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Me too, in my case though I have no Christian names, only fore names. I seldom use any but my fourth fore name. That said I do sometimes use my first when booking hôtels or resto’s, it almost always gets me a place when the establishment is ‘fully’ booked. My full name has caused problems when form filling, there is seldom room on the form.
I usually use fore names, but for some reason there was whisked back to my C of E school days. 
Same in Italy. Lots of ladies there technically have Maria as their first name and use their second name
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