ScotAccount: Simplifying Secure Access to Online Public Services

ScotAccount: Simplifying Secure Access to Online Public Services

Responding to Scotland's Digital Strategy commitment to introduce a trusted, accessible digital identity service designed around user needs, ScotAccount is the new secure and simple way for people in Scotland to access public services online.

People can use ScotAccount to sign into online services; and if required by the service, verify their identity to prove who they are and that they are eligibility for the public service or benefit. They can also then choose to save that verified identity for reuse with other public services.

By delivering ScotAccount as a trusted and person-centred service, Scottish Government has introduced a reusable set of digital common components that can be integrated into public services. This work is tangibly delivering on the strategic vision to transform government, simplifying user access to services, and offering a common approach, across the public sector, providing scale and value for money.

This forms part of the wider digital transformation set out by the Scottish Government to support public service reform, which involves the roll out of modern digital services that are easy to access, reliable and effective. It's about removing manual processing, reducing failure and meeting people's expectations of how they want to interact with government, securely and in a manner which protects their privacy.

Our work sets out to deliver benefits of consistency across multiple providers; be more convenient, more efficient and reusable, so users don't need to repeat the same processes across multiple services; and public services don't need to build a solution from scratch or repeat checks done elsewhere, providing value for money. It also aims to reduce identity theft and fraud; ensure services and payments go to the right person; and applies best practice standards for privacy protection that is under users' control.

Want to find out more?

If you are interested in finding out more about ScotAccount, you can read our latest blog

If you work for a public service organisation and would like to access our test environment, even if your requirement is a simple sign in/login, you can get in touch with the team by emailing: [email protected].

You can hear more about ScotAccount and other digital projects by subscribing to the Scottish Government Digital Scotland newsletter for regular updates.