UK government asks firms to improve digital services

If you have ever abandoned an app because the buttons were unclear, the security steps kept looping, or there was no obvious way to get help, this story is really about that feeling. On 17 July 2026, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology published open letters asking business leaders, including the financial sector, to work with government on making essential digital services easier to use and less exclusionary. (gov.uk) The letters matter because they treat poor digital design as a public issue, not just a customer-service problem. Ministers say online services now shape everyday life, from paying bills and managing money to using transport and reading the news, so when those services are hard to use, people can be pushed out of ordinary life. (gov.uk)

In the industry letter, ministers say too many digital services are still inconsistent, confusing or difficult to recover from when something goes wrong. They want firms to help build a shared idea of what good service looks like, backed by a voluntary approach and a cross-sector roadmap for change. (gov.uk) There is also a firmer message beneath the invitation. The government says it would rather make progress through voluntary work with industry, but it will keep under review whether stronger intervention is needed if change does not happen quickly enough. (gov.uk)

One reason these letters stand out is the evidence behind them. Ministers point to figures suggesting about 27% of UK adults are 'narrow internet users', while about 43% ask someone else to do something online for them. That is a useful reminder for all of us: being online is not the same as feeling confident, independent or well served. (gov.uk) **What this means for you:** digital exclusion is not only about whether someone has a device or broadband. It can also happen when forms are unclear, instructions are dense, or help disappears at the exact moment you need it. The letter says plainly that frustration itself can become a barrier. (gov.uk)

The government sets out three practical tests for better services. They should be easy to understand, designed with disabled people and others at risk of exclusion in mind, and built so that safety, privacy and security do not create extra difficulty for users. That last point is especially important, because secure systems should still be usable systems. (gov.uk) For readers, this is the clearest part of the whole story. Good digital access is not a luxury extra. It affects whether you can sort out your bills, check your bank account, book travel or prove who you are without needing another person to step in and finish the task for you. (gov.uk)

The separate letter to the financial sector takes a slightly different tone. It says banks and financial firms have already made significant efforts on inclusive design, accessibility testing, clearer customer steps and support for people with complex needs, and that many are now seen as examples of good practice. (gov.uk) Even so, ministers argue that customers still face a patchy experience across the wider economy. The aim is not only to improve banking apps or finance websites on their own, but to make digital services feel more consistent from one sector to another. HM Treasury is part of that message alongside DSIT. (gov.uk)

There is one date detail worth noticing. The GOV.UK page is published 17 July 2026, but both letters refer to a roundtable taking place on 13 July 2026. The most likely reading is that the correspondence was sent before it was later posted online, although the publication page does not spell that out directly. (gov.uk) That may sound minor, but it tells you something useful about how policy often reaches the public. By the time a letter appears on GOV.UK, talks with major sectors may already be under way. (gov.uk)

The bigger lesson here is that inclusive digital services are not just about convenience. They shape who gets to act independently in a society where more of daily life happens online. When government talks about making services less exclusionary, it is really talking about who gets through a task quickly, who gets stuck, and who ends up relying on someone else. (gov.uk) For companies, the ask is simple even if the work is not: test services with disabled users, cut avoidable friction, keep support easy to find, and treat clarity as seriously as security. For the rest of us, the message is reassuring in a different way. When an app or website feels impossible to use, the problem may not be you. The design may be failing the public. (gov.uk)