Companies House: Identity verification rollout confirmed from 18 November 2025

On 5 August 2025, Companies House announced that identity verification for individual directors and people with significant control over companies (PSCs) will come into effect on a phased basis from 18 November 2025.

From 18 November 2025:

• new directors will need to verify their identity to incorporate a company or be appointed to an existing company;
• existing directors will need to confirm they have verified their identity at the same time as they file their company’s next annual confirmation statement, during a 12-month transition period; and
• existing PSCs will need to verify their identity in line with an appointed day within 12 months of the commencement of mandatory identity verification on 18 November 2025 (see further below).

Individuals are already able to verify their identity with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) and from 18 November 2025, individual directors and PSCs will need to provide their resulting personal code and a verification statement confirming they have successfully verified their identity for each company role they hold.

As far as PSCs are concerned, each PSC will have a 14-day period during which they must submit a statement confirming they have verified their identity, along with their Companies House personal code. The dates of this 14-day period will depend on if:

• they are already a PSC when the identity verification requirements are introduced on 18 November 2025; and/or
• they are also a director of the company.

If they are registered as a PSC after 18 November 2025, their 14-day period starts from the date they register with Companies House.

If they are already a PSC on 18 November 2025 and a director of the relevant company, their 14-day period starts from the company’s confirmation statement date. However, if they are not a director of the company on 18 November 2025, their 14-day period starts from the first day of their month of birth, as it is shown on the Companies House register. For example, if the date of birth is shown on the register as March 1990, the 14-day period will start on 1 March 2026.

Identity verification requirements for individual members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs) will also come into effect on 18 November 2025, but the requirements for limited partnerships, corporate directors of companies, corporate members of LLPs, and officers of corporate PSCs will commence at a later date.

Companies House has updated its relevant guidance pages and its ECCTA Transition Plan for Companies House in light of this.

(Companies House, Companies House confirms identity verification rollout from 18 November 2025, 05.08.2025)

Home Office: International reporting template on modern slavery, forced labour and child labour published

On 30 July 2025, the Home Office published an optional template that organisations can use as a guide for responding to supply chain transparency requirements in the UK, Australia, and Canada.

Each of these countries has legislation in force aimed at combatting modern slavery in supply chains (in the UK it is the Modern Slavery Act 2015). Although there are differences in the legislative requirements, definitions, and scope, the aim of each piece of legislation is to promote transparency and encourage responsible business practices by compelling businesses to report on their efforts to address modern slavery risks in their operations and global supply chains. As a result, this template is designed to reduce the administrative burden for organisations subject to supply chain reporting requirements in the UK, Australia and Canada and it supports the development of one report for all three jurisdictions.

For the purposes of the template, legislative reporting requirements for the UK, Australia and Canada have been grouped according to theme into seven overarching requirements. Reports should include information that responds to each of these requirements and cover the organisation’s previous financial year.

To encourage progress and improve reporting information year-on-year, reporting requirements are split into two categories: level 1 and level 2:

• Level 1: information that organisations should disclose in their statements and annual reports under UK, Australian and Canadian transparency legislation.
• Level 2: recommended information that organisations can disclose in addition to level 1 disclosures to demonstrate progress and leadership in supply chain transparency.

As organisations become more familiar with the reporting requirements, they are encouraged to review and implement what is outlined in the level 2 category. This will demonstrate continuous improvement and commitment to eradicating modern slavery, forced labour and child labour in their supply chains.

The template encourages proportionate risk-based reporting. Organisations should be guided by the level of risk when determining the level of detail needed to provide transparency about their modern slavery, forced labour and child labour risks and the measures they have put in place to manage those risks (for example, mapping supply chains and organisational structures focusing on those with material risks).

The UK, Australia and Canada encourage all businesses, public bodies and multilateral organisations to review the template in addition to the available guidance in each jurisdiction if they plan to publish a modern slavery transparency statement or annual report. It is noted that organisations should defer to the governing legislation and relevant government-issued guidance to confirm their reporting obligations.

(Home Office, International reporting template on modern slavery, forced labour and child labour published, 30.07 2025)