GOV.UK One Login tackles inclusion challenges through User-Centred Design

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has released a detailed study on the accessibility and usability of its GOV.UK One Login system, which aims to simplify access to government services for all users.

Research, which involved over 2,000 participants, revealed significant challenges for younger users, particularly those aged 13-17. Key barriers include a lack of financial footprint, phone numbers, and email addresses, with 42% of this group struggling to complete online tasks independently.

According to the research, 46% of young people aged 13-17 do not have a phone number, 20% lack an email address, and only 4% have a sufficient financial or government footprint to meet identity verification requirements.

In comparison, 18-24-year-olds face fewer barriers, but 22% still lack a financial footprint necessary for identity verification. This issue is critical as young users will rely on GOV.UK One Login throughout their lives, from applying for their first apprenticeship to signing mortgage deeds.

The study, conducted by Pablo Romero, Lead User Researcher for Digital Identity at GDS, and Helena Trippe, Head of User Centred Design for GOV.UK One Login, outlines the importance of including diverse user groups in the design process and highlights how expanding the range of acceptable identification documents and increasing digital confidence through enhanced support could help address these barriers.

In response, the team is actively working on widening the types of identification accepted by the platform, improving mobile access, and addressing the lack of email addresses, especially among younger users. GOV.UK One Login will continue to iterate its service, using insights from user segmentation data to shape future development.

In a blog post, Pablo Romero noted that GOV.UK One Login’s ambition is to make access to government services easy for everyone, but barriers such as digital exclusion and the lack of necessary identification documents remain significant. Overcoming these barriers, especially for digitally native but financially underrepresented groups, is key to the system's long-term success.

The findings are part of GDS’s ongoing effort to improve accessibility and usability across all government services. The insights gained from this research will help ensure that GOV.UK One Login meets the needs of the next generation of users, ultimately improving public access to vital government services.