New trial to offer streamlined use of GOV.UK via GOV.UK accounts

From October, a limited number of people will be given the chance to create their own personal accounts to use on parts of GOV.UK ...

The accounts will make it easier for people to find the services they need and will mean they don’t have to repeatedly fill in the same pieces of information, such as names and addresses, to access different government services ...

As well as providing a more seamless service, the trial will also help guide people around GOV.UK by using the information they provide to point them to services which may be relevant to them.

If the initial trial is a success, it will be rolled out to allow more people to create GOV.UK accounts if they want to. Those who do not want to create an account will still be able to access the full range of Government services online.

More: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-trial-to-offer-streamlined-use-of-govuk

meanwhile…

Government Digital Service Minister Julia Lopez unveils ‘vision’ for a single sign-on and identity verification process -

‘Our vision is for members of the public to be able to access any online central government service simply, safely and securely using a single sign-on. When necessary to prove your identity, it should be as easy as possible, without re-entering information…

... I recognise that creating a single sign-on is a really complex task. And I’m alive to concerns about privacy. So that’s why I want to engage early in this area as we go on this journey so we can make sure there is a robust consent-based approach.

But the key point and core principle is user control. We want to work towards a state where data use in government is set up to ensure that people, when they choose to, don’t need to restate their data on repeat occasions to different parts of government.

Instead, data can be accessed, verified and stored when appropriate, in order to provide a proactive and low-friction service to the user.’