Enhanced DBS for London pedicab licences and DWP staff

Two practical changes to background checks are now set in law for England and Wales. From 21 January 2026, people applying to obtain or hold a London pedicab driver licence, and registered health care professionals working for or via the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), become eligible for enhanced criminal record certificates. The Statutory Instrument was signed on 25 November 2025 and laid before Parliament on 27 November 2025.

If you’re new to this area, an enhanced criminal record certificate (often called an ‘enhanced DBS check’) goes further than a standard check. It shows spent and unspent convictions that are not legally protected by filtering, and it can include locally held police information where a chief officer believes it’s relevant. For certain roles, it can also include a check of one or both barred lists (children’s and adults’). Government guidance explains the difference and when barred list checks are allowed.

The regulations do two things. First, they add pedicab driver licensing in London to the list of ‘prescribed purposes’ that can justify an enhanced DBS application. Second, they allow enhanced checks for registered health care professionals employed or engaged by the DWP or by contractors working for the DWP. Where those health care professionals are assessing children or vulnerable adults, the check can include a search of the relevant barred list(s).

A quick refresher on the barred lists helps here. The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) maintains two lists of people who are legally barred from regulated activity with children, adults, or both. If someone is on a barred list, they must not work in those settings. An ‘enhanced with barred lists’ check will tell an authorised employer or licensing body whether an applicant is on either list, alongside the enhanced certificate information. DBS guidance sets out how those decisions are made and what ‘regulated activity’ means.

Pedicabs are the cycle rickshaws you see in parts of central London. Until recently, the trade was largely unregulated. The Pedicabs (London) Act 2024 gave Transport for London (TfL) the power to license vehicles, drivers and operators, and to set conditions on safety, fares and conduct. Adding enhanced DBS eligibility for pedicab driver licences is one of the safeguards expected to sit alongside those licensing rules.

On DWP roles, the regulations use the definition of ‘health care professional’ taken from section 39(1) of the Social Security Act 1998. In practice, that means a registered professional engaged by the DWP or by its contractors to carry out activities for the department. If those activities include assessing children or vulnerable adults, the recruiting organisation will be able to request an enhanced certificate with a barred list check where the law allows.

It’s worth being clear about scope. These changes extend to England and Wales. The pedicab provision is London‑specific because TfL is the licensing authority under the 2024 Act. The DWP provision applies to registered health care professionals employed or engaged by the department or its contractors for DWP work; it doesn’t create a blanket rule for all NHS or private health roles. Barred list checks are only lawful where the role meets the legal test for regulated activity.

If you’re affected, the process is straightforward but formal. Individuals cannot apply for an enhanced DBS certificate on their own. The licensing body (for pedicabs) or the employer/contractor (for DWP roles) initiates the application through a registered body. Build in time: enhanced checks can take longer where extra police information must be considered. Employers and licensing teams must only request the level of check the law permits.

Finally, a note on fairness and privacy. Some old or minor records are filtered and will not appear on enhanced certificates, and police must follow statutory guidance before including local information. The government’s explanatory note says no significant impact on the public, private or voluntary sectors is expected, but applicants should still plan ahead for the 21 January 2026 start date and keep their right‑to‑work and identity documents ready for verification.