A group of councils is working together to create a new
means of authenticating citizens so they can more easily access
e-government services.
The 10 councils that belong to the Microsoft Shared Learning
Group will look at how to reuse existing types of identity, such as
passports or driving licences, so they can do away with usernames
and passwords in the long term.
Derby City Council will lead the project when it kicks off in
the New Year. It will begin by working with the Department for Work
and Pensions on electronic authentication for people claiming
benefits that are jointly administered by councils and the DWP.
The other nine councils are Isle of Man, Kent County Council,
the London boroughs of Bromley, Lewisham and Newham, Rotherham,
Sunderland City, Wakefield and Warwick.
Derby City Council’s assistant IT director John Cornall said, “I
do not think we will look at applications, we see this as being
application independent.”
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