New findings from the YouGov survey, commissioned by identity verification service CitizenSafe, have revealed 81% (4 out of 5 people) of British citizens expect to be able to access key government services easily and securely online. These include, for example, filing tax returns, managing pensions, claiming redundancy pay or viewing and sharing driving licence details.

Showing the demand for change, the online survey found that 80% of respondents have already used online banking outside of usual ‘office’ hours and expect no less from government services with:

52% of all those surveyed saying that verifying their identity online anywhere, and at any time was the most convenient option for them.

61% of full-time workers and 64% of full-time students agreeing that verifying their identity online was the most convenient option for them.

The news complements the launch of CitizenSafe, an electronic identity verification solution from GBG, an identity data intelligence company. It is launching with the UK Government’s GOV.UK Verify service which will be replacing the Government Gateway. The new service will be changing citizen access to government services by reducing the time taken to verify an identity.

Suzy Thomas, Head of CitizenSafe’s Customer Experience said, “technology is changing everything around us and everything we do. Our ambition for CitizenSafe is to transform government services. CitizenSafe is working to ensure that security and online safety are not compromised. Through GOV.UK Verify, the UK Government is helping to fight the growing problem of online identity theft.”

Once an individual has been verified, accessing GOV.UK services will take less than a minute, simply requiring a username, password and security code. This makes identity verification easier and more secure.