Quicker, easier access to services with new GOV.UK Forms tool

Government launches new online tool to speed up the system for completing government forms online, improving access and efficiency 

A more accessible system for filling in government forms is being rolled out across the country after successful trials. Using the new tool, official forms take under five minutes to complete, with no need for lengthy paperwork, unwieldly PDFs, printouts or other administrative burdens. 

Example image from the GOV.UK Forms tool, courtesy of GOV.UK

GOV.UK Forms has already been used to speed up the registrations of more than 300 sub-postmasters seeking redress following the Horizon IT scandal. The new tool has also been used by the public to register XL Bully dogs – which, since 1 February this year, it has been illegal to own without an exemption certificate. More than 400 new volunteer coastguards have been recruited by using the new tool. 

Free for use by those working in central government, GOV.UK Forms provides a simple interface through which civil servants can create accessible online forms without the need for coding or design skills. The digital platform then ensures that these are managed securely.

Altogether, the new tool increases efficiency, improves services and saves public money. To date, 87 forms have been published using the new system, with more than 1,200 government users adopting the platform. In doing so, it is estimated that the new tool has already saved two years in processing time.  

Now, having undergone successful private beta and early access phases, the GOV.UK Forms tool will now enter a ‘public beta’ testing phase, where it is applied more widely in cases where citizens need to share information with the government.  

The new platform complies with government standards on both accessibility and cybersecurity, ensuring that all users, whatever their access needs, can use the forms easily and securely. New features are regularly tested to make sure that the system is easy to use.    

Feryal Clark MP, Minister for AI and Digital Government, says: ‘We’re enabling citizens to access essential government services more easily and securely, whether it’s applying for long overdue compensation or to become a volunteer. Not only will this modernise how the public interacts with us, but it allows departments to focus resources on improving public services – rather than administrative tasks. This early success marks the start of our ongoing mission to refine digital tools, building trust and ensuring government works for everyone, everywhere.’ 

Christine Bellamy, CEO of the Government Digital Service (GDS), adds: ‘GOV.UK Forms enables people running government services to create online forms in minutes, without the need for coding or design skills. By enabling teams to replace paper-based forms with digital alternatives that are quicker to process, more secure and more accessible, we’re helping to realise a more modern digital government that helps to give people their time back.’ 

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